Feeding time
by Twisted Puppy
Summary: Grissom once said he had a lot of reasons for taking blood from people. Ever wonder what those reasons are? This is my take on it. This is a response to a challenge issued by ilovegsr on , though I started writing it in 2008. GSR
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I keep wishing to own them, but it hasn't come true yet.

**Genre**: A/U (slight)

**Pairing**: GSR baby!

**Rating:** M

**Summary**: Do you ever wonder what Grissom's 'so many reasons' are for collecting blood?

**A/N**: This will have similar features to Wolvgambit's Forbidden Hunger fic, but soon takes off in a completely different direction. Any further similarities are pure coincidence. I started writing this in June 2008, though it does fit the qualifications for the current challenge on GSRForeverLove. This will be a lengthy fic and I hven't finished writing it.

**A/N2:** No beta on this one, all mistakes are mine.

**Feeding Time**

_I am so hungry!_ Grissom thought to himself in the confines of his office. He then pulled a diary out of his desk. Upon opening to the correct entry, he smiled and then had to concentrate on quelling the reaction in both his pants and his mouth. Gil Grissom keeps a terrible secret; he is a vampire. He'd been one since he had been bitten nearly twenty-five years previous. Slowly, he'd been using his job to his advantage. He now worked the nightshift, which was a major plus and now, as supervisor and geek extraordinaire, he'd put everyone on a regular blood donation schedule. Everyone assumed it was for his on-going experiments, and he made sure to save some for that reason. Tonight however, the smile is caused by the fact that his favorite blood would be donated the very next week. He took a moment to put his body under control and rose to join his team in the break room.

"Good evening everyone." Various greetings were murmured back to him.

"Warrick and Nick, you have a homicide. Ladies, you have one as well and a suspect is already in custody for you. Greg, you're solo tonight. As for me, I have experiments to run so before you leave, Warrick, you're up to donate tonight and Sara, you'll be next week." Warrick nodded and the assignment slips were handed to Nick, Catherine and Greg respectively. Everyone in the room left and Grissom took a few seconds to watch Sara walk away before returning to his office. Warrick was already rolling up his sleeve, cuing Grissom to gather the blood draw kit.

"So, Griss, what experiments will you be performing with my blood?"

"I haven't decided yet. I've got a few in mind that I've been pondering." Grissom answered vaguely. He had to put more concentration into keeping his body under control than he did drawing the man's blood. He was selective about his intake, staying mainly with the team. He tapped the lab techs on occasion if he was desperate. Occasionally, small animals met their demise at his hands. Ten minutes later, Warrick was on his way to meet Nick. The blood was stored in his mini refrigerator to be consumed in the privacy of his on home. He proceeded to take some of Hodge's blood for his experiment.

_I need to come up with something better. I need to eat a full meal more regularly than this._ He thought and then almost at the same time, his thoughts drifted to Sara. He thought about how nice it would be to invite her into his dark world. He stayed in his daydream for only a moment as this was not the time, nor the place to have such thoughts.

Near the end of shift, he picked up on Sara's voice. Her scent soon followed as she and Catherine walked past his office. _God, she smells great!_ He thought. He was very in tune with her body, and had been since the moment they'd met. He would often tease her in order to note the changes in her physiology. He would hear her heart rate increase and could never resist glancing at her neck to visually confirm his auditory clues. He knew when she had her period because the scent drove him out of his mind half with lust and half with hunger. He particularly enjoyed the scent of her arousal when he looked at her in just the right way.

Catherine burst into his daydream by dropping a report on his desk. He picked it up and scanned it carefully.

"What the hell is this?" He asked when he came across Sara's name in the file.

"Just what it says Sara was punched in the eye while questioning our suspect. She didn't retaliate either. I'm proud of her." Grissom never heard the last sentence. He tuned his senses into finding Sara. Her heartbeat led him to the break room where she was putting together an ice bag. He could tell that she was feeling anger for not defending herself and hitting the suspect back and worried that she would have to wear a lot of make up for the next few days to cover up the bruise already forming on her face.

"Sara, come to my office as soon as you have you ice together." He said and she nodded. Her body slightly tensed and her pulse quickened. He turned and left, satisfied that she would find him momentarily. Thankfully, Catherine was gone by the time he returned.

He was just settling in behind his desk when he heard her telltale footsteps approaching.

"You wanted to see me?" _Boy, is that a loaded question; I want more than that._ He thought, but cleared his throat instead.

"Yes, please close the door and have a seat." He held up the report Catherine gave him and watched her sit in the chair cross from him.

"It's come to my attention that you received an injury during an altercation with a suspect." Sara nodded and put the ice pack on her eye. She wasn't looking at him full on, so he wasn't able to see the full extent of the damage. He let her be for now.

"Was this attack provoked?"

"Not like it was with Mr. Shelton," she said referring to a case from her first year in Vegas where she had deliberately provoked the suspect and openly accused him of abusing his wife.

"I just asked a question. Catherine heard me and Brass saw the whole thing."

"Are you ok?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I'm fine." _Grrr! It's so irritating when she says that._ He fought to keep his face neutral despite his angry thought.

"Let me see." He reached for the ice pack, but she leaned away from him.

"Griss, I'll be fine." she argued. He sighed.

"Sara, let me see."

"Fine!" She threw the ice pack at him and put her face in front of his desk lamp.

"See, it's fine, may I go now?"

"No." He remained calm and set the pack on his desk. He stood up, walked around to the front of his desk and carefully turned the light to shine on her delicate features. He reached out and cautiously probed the new bruise; thoroughly enjoying the effects it produced on her body. Satisfied that she was telling the truth, he picked up the ice pack and put it on her face. Her hand came up to cover his. It was actually a pretty intimate moment; one he chose to savor. He removed his hand, but didn't move away from her.

"Thank you." She whispered and then the moment was broken by a knock on the door. Grissom immediately went behind his desk.

"Come in." Catherine appeared and started speaking before she saw everyone in the room.

"Hey Gil, have you seen…oh, Sara there you are. I've been looking for you."

"You found me." Sara stated the obvious.

"Good, we need to start processing." Sara looked to Grissom.

"Are we through?"

"Yes." Sara stood and followed Catherine out the door. Grissom watched them leave. With each passing minute, it was getting harder to fight with his body and with his emotions. He was going to tell her and soon.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: So, feed my insecurities and leave me a review. Should I continue?

Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	2. Chapter 2

Mercifully, the shift ended. Quickly, Grissom gathered up his things and triple checked to make sure the blood was in is briefcase. He had almost made it to the door when Sara's voice stopped him. He sensed an anxiousness from her.

"Hey Griss, we're going out for breakfast; want to come?"

"Uh, no thanks. I have something I need to take care of. I'll see you tonight."

"Oh, ok. I'll see you tonight then." He felt bad now that he knew her anxiousness was related to her asking him to join the team because now she was feeling rejected.

"Yes, good bye, Sara." He turned and resumed his previous pace to his car. Remaining mindful of the speed limit, Grissom got home as soon as he could. Once inside, he drank one third of Warrick's blood. With his hunger somewhat satiated, he put his things away and took a shower. In the shower, Sara invaded his thoughts again. This time, the place coincided with the opportunity to indulge the fantasy of drinking her blood while he made love to her. He had a clear imagination of what her body would look like underneath his and how it would feel to touch her so intimately. His hand acted of its own accord when it wandered between his legs. He took no notice of the rapidly cooling water as he brought himself to the peak of self-created pleasure.

He dressed for bed and decided to have a little more blood as a snack before bed. A knock on the door startled him. He rushed to put the blood away in his refrigerator and answered the door.

"Sara?"

"Hi. I uh wasn't sure if I should bother you, but I saw your car outside. I didn't wake you did I?" she rambled.

"No, you didn't wake me."

"Oh, good." He fought to remain calm, despite her nervousness.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh, um yes, there is." It was clear that she wasn't going to tell him while she was still outside.

"Would you like to come in?"

"Sure." Grissom stepped aside to grant her entrance and shut the door behind her. She stopped a few feet inside the door and turned to look at him.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"You acted a little weird this morning when we asked you to join us for breakfast." She finished her sentence slowly. He saw her eyes fixate on his mouth.

"What are you staring at?" She reached out to touch his face like she had so many years ago. He couldn't back away from her hand because of the door right behind his back.

"You have something on your face; spaghetti?" He was frozen with fear. He could do nothing but watch as she brought her finger to her nose to confirm her theory. Her nose wrinkled at the distinct odor.

"Is this blood?" She moved his face around like clay, looking for shaving cuts. He said nothing.

"Grissom?" Still, he said nothing.

"Gil?" Hearing his given name brought his attention back.

"What?"

"Why did you have blood on your face?"

"Uh…" _Come on man, think!_ He mentally scolded himself.

"Griss?"

"Uh…" He didn't know why his brain had completely shut down on him, but he desperately hoped something would jump start it soon. Sara started to walk further into his home.

"I'm just getting a drink from your refrigerator. Is that alright?" She didn't wait for an answer. He just leaned on the wall for support and watched with fear as she began to root around in his refrigerator. Sara had been looking for a bottle of juice or water when she spotted something deep red. As soon as she picked it up, she knew what it was. She recognized the pouch.

Grissom knew when she saw the blood. He could hear her heartbeat and her breathing both accelerate. His concern for her overrode his own mortification. He moved as fast as he could to catch her as she fainted. He carried her over to the couch and gently laid her out. He did enjoy the feel of her body in his arms and savored it for a few extra seconds before setting her down. Next, he fetched a damp washcloth and a glass of water. He set the cloth on her forehead and waited for her to come around.

Sara was wondering why her forehead was all wet. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Grissom sitting next to her hip, wiping her face. Everything came rushing back and she tried to escape. He lazily held hr in place.

"I won't hurt you. There's no point in trying to escape, because I can easily catch you. If you promise not to run, I'll let you up."

"I promise." she whispered. He got up and sat in a nearby chair.

"I know you have questions. I'm confident with the fact that if I answer them, my trust in you will be well placed."

"I don't know where to begin." he reached for the table.

"Here, drink some water; you did faint." Sara took the glass and sipped a few times.

"Did you drink…that blood?" she began.

"Yes."

"Is it Warrick's"

"Yes.'

"So, you're a…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word.

"Yes, I am."

"What about sunlight?"

"Sunscreen, and lots of it." he said.

"Is that the real reason you keep our blood donation records?"

"Yes."

"When…how…" he knew what she was asking even though she didn't finish either question.

"I was bitten almost twenty-five years ago."

"Who did this to you?"

"The first girl I was ever intimate with; she took my virginity and my soul. She seduced me. I never saw her again." Sara wore a look of sympathy.

"Do you feed off of humans?" She asked tentatively.

"Not directly. I drink the blood that I draw from all of you. I have to pace myself to make it last."

"I've seen you eat regular food." She said logically.

"I come home and regurgitate it; I have to keep up appearances." She was silent for a minute and he was proud of her for not making a face when he told her about the regurgitation.

"Whose blood do you prefer?"

"Yours."

"Mine?" She was dumbfounded.

"Why?" she asked a second later.

"It tastes the best."

"So, I guess you're looking forward to next week aren't you?"

"You have no idea." He almost moaned.

"What's it like?"

"It's like a meal, only I'm subjected to whatever you ate last. Today, Warrick's blood had a strong garlic flavor to it."

"Isn't garlic bad?"

"That's just a myth."

"Oh."

"There are also subtle differences in the blood types and it may be another reason I like yours the best; we have the same blood type."

"Really?"

"AB+"

"So, are you allergic to anyone with a negative blood type?"

"My tolerance is much lower. I tend to stay away from Hodges and Bobby Dawson for that very reason."

"When I showed up here, I interrupted your dinner, didn't I?"

"It was just a snack."

"Do you want me to leave so you can finish it?" she asked and moved to sit up.

"No, it's fine; I should save the rest anyway."

"Ok, you don't sleep in a coffin, do you?" he chuckled.

"No, but I could. I generally just pull the covers over my head." She sat quiet for a minute.

"The jacket thing makes sense now." She mused.

"What jacket thing?"

"You always wear a jacket at crime scenes; minimizing skin exposure?"

"Yes."

"Have you infected anyone?"

"No, I'm very careful about that."

"What would you do if one of us got hurt or sick before donating to you?"

"Probably go to the meat market for pig blood." He answered. She sat up a little straighter.

"Where's you bathroom?" He pointed.

"First door on your right; are you ok?" She had started walking away.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She ran the last few steps to the bathroom. He could hear her losing her breakfast. When she came out, she had a hint of fear about her.

"I'd never hurt you."

"I know that." She almost snapped at him.

"You're afraid of me."

"I just don't know what to think or how to feel."

"Just be normal. Sara, I don't drink blood because I want to, I do it to survive."

"I realize that."

"I won't drink fresh from the body without consent; that's why I do it the way that I do."

"I figured." She said.

"I want you to really understand that, Sara because I could repeatedly take from you without your knowledge."

"I think I'd notice bite marks." She scoffed. He smiled.

"I'd take from places not easily seen and always concealed by clothes."

"Like where?"

"Between your thighs." Sara flushed with arousal at the thought of him between her legs. She then saw Grissom inhale deeply and sigh happily.

"What was that for?"

"The scent of your arousal is my second favorite scent of yours; but only just barely second."

"What's the first?" she asked.

"When you have your period."

"Oh, right, the blood."

"Does this change how you perceive me?"

"A little, yeah." She owed him honesty.

"I understand." he said.

"Thank you for trusting me."

"Sara, I'd like you to consider donating fresh to me next week. It's a unique feeling. I'm only asking, because now you know my deep dark secret."

"I'll think about it." she said.

"Thank you. You're the only person who knows."

"I won't say anything." She assured him. He sighed in relief and relaxed his posture a bit. Sara stood up, casing him to rise as well.

"I should go." He walked her to the door and just before she could open it, Grissom grasped her arm. She turned to face him.

"Sara, I'm glad you know. If I had to choose any of my friends to share this with, I'd pick you." She smiled softly.

"Thank you. I'll see you tonight."

"Ok, sleep well, Sara."

"You too, Bye Grissom." She stepped out the door.

"Bye." He closed it behind her and breathed in a breath He could only be patient now and hope that she'd say yes to his request. He can't remember the last time he fed directly from the source. He went to bed with very pleasant dreams involving him and Sara.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSR

A/N: So, will she say yes? There are some interesting twists and turns on the way. I also want to say that I have done no research for this story and therefore all of my facts about vampires are completely made up.

My apoligies to WolvGambit for misspelling her name! After a few chapters, any similarities to her story should disappear and any that are here now are purely coincidental. I started writing this in June of 2008.

Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	3. Chapter 3

Sara made it all the way to her bed before crying. She wasn't entirely sure why he was crying, but it felt like the right thing to do. When the tears stopped, she was able to think about what he was asking her to do. She had plenty of time to decide and she also knew he would respect her decision without pressuring her otherwise. She fell asleep weighting the pros and cons and failed to set the alarm.

Grissom sat in his office waiting for shift to begin. He knew she wasn't here yet and was wondering why. He would wait until shift officially began to call her. Ten minutes later, he found himself walking down the hall to meet his team. He took a moment to look around the room and confirm what his senses had already told him.

"Where's Sara?" he asked. Each one of them shrugged their shoulders. He passed out assignments and retreated to his office. Greg found him seconds later.

"Hey, you coming?"

"Yes, I'll meet you outside in a few minutes." Gil answered and reached for the phone.

"Ok; calling Sara?"

"Yes."

"I'll see you in a few." Greg said and disappeared. Grissom dialed Sara's number from memory and when it went to her voicemail, he hung up and dialed again.

Sara heard the phone ringing. She started to move towards it, but then it stopped. A few seconds later, it started up again. Three times this happened before she picked up the phone only to have it stop ringing in her hand. She was just about to check the missed calls, but it started to ring again.

"Hello?"

"_Oh, good, you're alive."_ Sara scrunched her face up in confusion.

"Grissom?"

"_Yes, where are you?"_

"I'm at home."

"_Shift started thirty minutes ago."_ Sara looked at the clock and fully woke up now.

"Oh, I forgot to set the alarm. I'll come right in." He could hear her moving.

"_It's my fault isn't it?"_ he asked on a sigh.

"I let my thoughts get ahead of me. I was distracted." she said.

"_Are you still feeling ill?"_ he asked.

"I still have questions."

"_Do you need to stay home?"_

"That's probably a good idea; thank you."

"_Rest easy and I'll see you later."_

"Ok, bye."

"_Bye."_ He said and hung up. He then got his own kit and went to go meet Greg. At the front desk Judy stopped him.

"Greg said that he went on to the scene and would meet you there."

"Ok, thanks Judy." He detoured to the garage for his own company issued vehicle.

Greg's car was parked next to Brass' when he got there. He nodded to the detective on his way in.

"Hello Greg."

"Hey, did you get a hold of Sara?"

"I did."

"Is she coming in?"

"No; she's not feeling well and is using a sick day." Grissom told the young man.

"That's a sudden illness. She was fine at breakfast."

"Maybe it didn't agree with her. She didn't sound to well and she's not the type to blow off work."

"Good point. I took photos all around and was about to start collecting evidence."

"I'll take the body." Grissom offered.

"I got the room." Just then, David entered. Greg nodded and returned to his work. Grissom bagged something from victim's shoes.

"Hey Grissom."

"Hello David." David got to work immediately; taking liver temp and checking for rigor mortis in order to determine a tentative T.O.D. It took an hour for Grissom and David to collect all visible evidence before the body was taken away. Grissom's phone rang a minute later.

"Grissom."

"_I need to talk to you."_

"Immediately?"

"_The sooner the better."_

"I'll call you when I leave my scene. I can escape for lunch then."

"_Ok, I'll be here."_ The call ended as abruptly as it had begun, causing him to stare blankly at it for a second.

"Everything alright?" Greg unknowingly interrupted his thoughts.

"Uh…yeah. I'm taking lunch as soon as we finish here then I'll meet you back at the lab." Greg nodded and understood that he was not invited on Grissom's lunch detour. Three hours later, all of the evidence was loaded into Greg's Tahoe. Greg left for the lab and Grissom went over to Sara's. He called her from the car and she told him to just come right in. Fifteen minutes later, he was on her couch.

"What do you need to know?" he asked.

"Details; how often do you need to feed?"

"I would have a small snack every day and a big meal about every three to four days."

"Where would you…dine from?"

"There are several places I could take from. I've already mentioned between your thighs, but there's also your neck, elbow and wrist."

"How would that change our relationship?"

"We could keep it as is or we could take it to a more intimate level. I would be putting my mouth on your body." He told her and fought with his body to maintain control.

"What do you want?" She asked the question he knew was coming.

"I want you in my life. If you choose, we can go with you providing me nourishment and nothing else. I won't force anything on you."

"I know that. Would this be an exclusive thing?"

"I'd prefer it, yes."

"Can I see your fangs?" She leaned forward; truly interested.

"Are you willing to let me snack? I don't like to let them descend without reason."

"Would that prevent me from donating next week?"

"If we start this arrangement, then I would feed as needed. Next week's donation time would be considered breakfast and I will feed then."

"What about when I have my period?"

"I imagine that if our relationship is intimately physical, then I would enjoy feeding on that." Sara flushed with arousal again at the thought of his head between her thighs.

"Mmm, smells good." Grissom was beginning to lose the war with his body.

"Where would you take from me tonight?"

"Most likely, your neck. Your hair is long enough and the right shirt would cover it up."

"Would you kiss me?"

"If you would like me to." Sara stood and pulled on his hand. She placed her head on his chest and heard nothing.

"I don't need anything to survive except blood." He wrapped his arms around her.

"So, do you have a death certificate then?"

"No, I'm not truly dead. I'll most likely kill myself at some point. I'll figure something out."

"How would you do that?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. I have a few theories."

"Is there any way for you to be human again?"

"I doubt it. I wouldn't even know where to begin looking." He answered solemnly.

"Do you need to eat now?"

"I could. I can also wait until tomorrow. By then I have to ingest something." They were still in their embrace. She looked up at the same time he looked down; their faces centimeters apart.

"May I kiss you?" It was barely audible, even to Sara.

"Yes." She used the same tone as he had. The gap softly closed between them and the kiss remained gentle. Sara used her tongue to request entrance into his mouth. Her request was eagerly granted. The kiss deepened until Sara needed air. She looked at him and noted that his eyes were bluer than she'd ever seen them.

"That was intense." Sara spoke quietly.

"Yes, it was."

"When do you need to be back?" She asked and placed one hand on his chest.

"Soon." His hand covered hers.

"What did it feel like when you were fed off of?"

"It was during intercourse, so to me, it felt amazing." he said.

"Oh."

"Would you like to know how it feels?" he asked.

"I'm not sure."

"I understand if you need more time."

"Thank you. What if I'm not ready by donation time?"

"Then I'll do what I always do; take it home and drink it later."

"Your patience and understanding is amazing." she said.

"I try."

"Just a snack?" Sara asked after another quiet moment.

"Just a snack." he confirmed.

"Ok." Grissom led Sara to a chair and kneeled in front of her. He grabbed her left wrist and checked her face for permission once more. Again, she nodded. First, he placed a kiss at the spot he was going to nibble from.

"Let me see." She broke the silence and he looked up at her in confusion. Sara took her hands and brought them to his mouth. She moved his lips out of the way and probed his fangs with her fingers. Suddenly, she kissed and probed his mouth with her tongue. He allowed it because her comfort level was important to him. Finally, she broke apart.

"I'm ready now."

"Ok." He held her wrist in both of his hands and made sure she was able to see him. As gently as he could, he pierced the skin. She gasped as he suckled for thirty seconds. She was definitely aroused and panting. He didn't want to take too much and therefore stopped. He applied significant pressure to her wrist in order to stop the flow of blood.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Are you full?" she shot back.

"For now."

"I'm fine."

"So, how does it feel?"

"Warm and tingly." She answered.

"You're aroused."

"Yes."

"If I had the time, would we be taking care of that?" he asked, worried that he was being too forward. It was definitely out of his comfort zone to ask a question like that.

"Probably." Sara answered honestly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Is this something that we can continue?" he asked. She heard the hope in his voice that he had tried to conceal.

"Will it always feel that good?" Sara asked.

"I'm sure it all depends on where I feed from, and moods and such." He shrugged, because he honestly didn't know the answer.

"Call me when you need to eat next. I'll feed you." she said.

"Again, thank you. Where are your band-aids?" He was still putting pressure on her wrist.

"In the medicine cabinet." Sara answered and was able to see just how fast Grissom could move when he wanted to. He bandaged her wrist and kissed it a final time.

"Regretfully, I need to go back to work. I will call you though." he said.

"Ok, need me to come in?"

"I told Greg that you said you weren't feeling well. You'd better just stay home for tonight."

"Alright." They walked to her front door. He paused to caress her cheek.

"Thank you doesn't seem appropriate."

"It works for me. I'll see you later."

"Bye."

"Bye." He left and she closed the door. She knew he was waiting on the other side waiting for the telltale signs of her locking it. She went back to bed and wrote in her journal about everything that had transpired since she'd left work.

GSRGSRGSGRSGRSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSGRSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSGRSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: What do you think she will say? (I know what I would say *wink, wink)

Reviews are wanted and appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

Grissom was in his car smiling in satisfaction. He was initially horrified when she discovered his secret, but was now glad that she knew. Plus, it was nice to feed direct from a body; _and what a body!_ He knew that she would be scientific with her thought and questions; after fainting of course. He only was upset that he had to leave so soon after feeding. He was efficient in getting back to the lab and redirecting his brain to the task at hand.

"Hello Greg."

"Hey Boss man; you were gone for a while." Greg stated in a subtle accusatory manner.

"My apologies. It couldn't be helped; plus I checked on Sara." Grissom knew this would distract the younger man.

"How is she?"

"She's feeling better. She'll be back tomorrow."

"Good." Greg smiled.

"So, where are we at?" Grissom redirected Greg again.

"Well, pending a few test results, I've got a working theory."

"Let's hear it." Greg smiled and began to reconstruct what he believed to have happened based on the evidence at hand. Grissom nodded, contributing or asking questions as needed.

"Good work, Greg. I'm sorry I wasn't around more to help you."

"I'm cool. You did seem distracted tonight though." Grissom raised an eyebrow at this.

"Oh?"

"It's not like you leave for a lunch break; let alone one that lasted for almost two hours." Grissom breathed a mental sigh of relief.

"Again, I'm sorry. I was distracted, but I'm here now."

"Everything ok?"

"Yes, thank you for your concern. Why don't you check on those results and I'll be in my office with paperwork."

"Ok." Seconds after entering his office, he heard a distinctive clacking on the floor. He feigned ignorance.

"Hey Gil."

"Hello Catherine."

"Did you find Sara?"

"Yes, she wasn't feeling very well and took a night off. I just spoke with her an hour ago. She's doing better and will be back for next shift." Grissom explained.

"Good; she must be really under the weather, she never takes off."

"She thinks it was something she ate." Grissom told her.

"It must have been something she ate at home because we had the same thing to eat at the diner." Grissom mentally winced, but recovered quickly.

"That must be it. She never told me what it was that she ate."

"Oh, ok. Well, we closed our case." She handed over the file.

"That was fast."

"Some nights, things just go your way." she said and Grissom couldn't agree more.

"I guess. Would you like to help me with paperwork?" he offered and already knew what she would say.

"God, no. I've got a pile of my own to do. See you later." she said on her way out the door.

"Yeah." he said to an empty room.

Grissom had made a small dent in the pile on his desk by the end of shift. He called Sara and asked her to meet him at his place. On his way, he picked up band-aids, vegetables, fruit, and three red roses. She was waiting on the trunk of her car when he pulled in.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. There was a terrible line at the grocery store."

"I haven't been here long. No harm, no foul. Need help?" She hopped off the car and reached for the bags in his hands.

"I've got it, come on in." Sara took Grissom's keys upon request and opened the door. She swiped an apple while he put everything else away.

"Did you bring a bag with some extra clothes in it?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Would you like something to drink?"

"Do you want me to drink something?" She retaliated.

"A little orange juice would be nice." he admitted.

"Ok, I would like some orange juice please." She smiled at him. There was an undercurrent of nervousness in the air. Sara drank the juice that was handed to her. She wasn't sure how, but she found herself wrapped up in his arms as soon as she set the glass on the counter. His mouth was desperately seeking entrance to hers. She was helpless to his demands and held onto him with all her strength. When she broke it, all he picked her up and set her on the counter. Automatically, her legs parted for him to stand in between. His kisses rained on her neck and ears. Sara moaned; doing her best to use his shoulders to keep herself upright. Grissom was really, really good at kissing. She felt his hands on her skin, lifting the shirt from her body.

"Sara, you're so beautiful." He said and she kissed him.

"May I feed?" In answer, she tilted her head away from him and offered up her neck. Just as he had before, his kissed the area and gently pierced the skin with his teeth. Sara gasped as he started to suckle. Neither heard the doorbell. Sara heard someone enter the town home, calling his name. She tried to push him off.

"Stay still." he said.

"We're not alone." she said.

"Gil? Are you here?" Jim Brass' voice entered the kitchen just as Gil looked up. There was blood on his lips and Sara's neck. Her hand flew to her neck to stem the flow.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jim demanded. Gil wiped his mouth and applied more pressure to Sara's neck.

"Why are you here?" Gil asked.

"Don't change the subject. Were you drinking blood? Miss, are you alright?" Sara nodded, though she kept her face hidden.

"Excuse us for a minute." Sara kept her face hidden as Grissom led her away while getting two small band-aids. He returned alone.

"Why are you here?"

"Bug case; the cop on the case knew I was your friend. He caught me on my way out and asked me to check by your place. Were you drinking her blood?"

"No." Gil answered immediately.

"I think you're lying."

"Tough; what's the address?" A change in subject was necessary, though Gil knew it wouldn't be forgotten for long. Jim handed it over.

"Thank you. I guess I need to work. If you don't mind, I need to change and leave." Gil tried to usher his friend out the door.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine; go home and rest."

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Brass asked.

"Yes."

"So talk; who's the girl?" Grissom mentally groaned.

"A figment of your imagination." Gil said in a 'drop it' tone of voice.

"My imagination must be intoxicated." Jim finally started to walk toward the door.

"Why do you say that?" Grissom asked and realized he had just taken the bait.

"I'll tell when you do, my friend. Bye Gil." Brass smiled and left. Grissom locked the deadbolt this time. He went in search of Sara and found her just as he'd left her on his bed.

"Hey." he said upon crossing the threshold to his bedroom.

"Hey, work?" she asked, but both of them already knew the answer.

"Sadly, yes."

"Did you get enough?" she asked and he knew she was referring to his 'breakfast'.

"I'm good for a while." He crawled on the bed and hovered over her. He caressed her cheek .She closed her eyes and leaned in to his touch.

"You're so beautiful." he felt the need to tell her a second time.

"Even half-naked?" she asked with a smile.

"Especially half-naked." He matched her smile with his own.

"I love you, Sara." She froze momentarily.

"What did you say?"

"I love you, Sara Sidle." he repeated. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.

"Sara?" She looked into his deep blue eyes and saw the truth of his words.

"I love you, too." He bent down to kiss her. She began to unbutton his shirt while tasting a hint of her own blood on his tongue. She mumbled something, causing him to stop.

"What?"

"You have to work."

"I'd rather be with you." he told her honestly.

"I know. Go to work. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back." She emphasized her point with a gentle shove to his shoulder.

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Ok, are you staying here?" he asked.

"May I?"

"Absolutely." he parroted her words.

"Thank you."

"Where's your bag?"

"By the door." He left the bed to get it for her and when he returned, she was putting on his shirt and started to take off her pants.

"That's not fair." He complained.

"What?"

"Putting those legs on display."

"Think of it as incentive to get back here sooner." She smiled shyly at him.

"It's working." Sara folded her jeans and set them on a nearby chair, then climbed back onto his bed.

"Are you going to change?" Grissom pulled out fresh clothes and proceeded to change in front of her. She was extremely aroused and he took his time in order to savor the scent. He watched her snuggle in under the covers.

"Sara, this is torture."

"I know."

"It's not fair." He was brushing his teeth.

"I'm sorry." She sounded tired and he looked over to see her falling asleep. He kissed her forehead.

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Mmmm, hurry."

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: Stay tuned to see what happens when Grissom gets back…

Thank you all for the reviews you have sent me. Please keep them coming. Have a great day! Kelly


	5. Chapter 5

Grissom was at war. His body wanted to stay with Sara, but his mind told him to work. His body and hers were both providing convincing arguments for him to stay, but he forced himself to leave.

He was cordial, polite, and efficient while he worked. There wasn't much to do except collect his specimens and go home. After he dropped them off at the lab, he rushed home to be with Sara. He liked the look of her in his bed. He turned his cell phone off and engaged the deadbolt on his front door, determined not to be bothered until he had to work that night. He shed his clothes and showered in the guest bathroom on his way to his room, a sign of how eager he was to join her in bed. Sara was sound asleep under the covers and she curled her body into his when he joined her. He had other ideas though and turned her on her back. Pushing his weight carefully on her, he began a slow, sensual oral assault on her body.

"Mmm." Sara began to moan and reciprocate. Finally, he attacked her lips. Sara pushed her tongue into his mouth. She woke with the breaking of the kiss.

"Hi."

"Hi, welcome back." She said as she wound her arms around his neck and into his still damp hair.

"Thanks, can we continue or do you want to go back to sleep?" her body was aroused, he could smell it, but he wanted her permission nonetheless. She pushed him up and sat up. She admired his shirtless body briefly before shedding the shirt that she had borrowed from him. He smiled and moved to get her on her back again, but Sara was equally determined and straddled him. His hands landed on her hips.

"Are you always like this in bed?" he asked with a smile, knowing she could feel his desire burning for her.

"Sometimes; is that a problem for you?"

"No, I get like that too." Sara leaned forward so that their bare chests were touching.

"I guess we'll never be bored." She prevented any response from him by claiming his mouth with her own and seeking out his tongue. Sara broke the kiss and began moving down his body. , savoring the taste of him. She nibbled on each of his nipples and delighted in the moans he let escape. The closer she got to his tented boxers, the more aroused she became. First, she rubbed the covered bulge, pacing her enthusiasm because a fantasy was about to become a reality. He lifted when Sara indicated so by peeling his boxers down. All she could do was stare at his body.

"Sara, I want you." he growled at her.

"I can tell."

"Then help me by helping yourself."

"Ok." She took hold of his erection and began using her hands and mouth to fondle him. He began using four letter explicatives to verbalize the pleasure he was receiving. She almost laughed because she can't remember the last time she'd heard him swear. It was when he placed his hands on her head, that she knew he was getting close to completion. Abruptly, she stopped.

"Sara?"

"I can't wait any longer." She explained. At that moment, she stood on the bed and stripped off her panties and impale herself on his body. She'd never felt so complete with a man before. It was like he was made for her.

"Feels so good." he said.

"I know, it feels so right." Sara replied and started to set the pace. She chose to maintain eye contact with him while she raised and lowered her body on his. Sara kept him on his toes, so to speak, by continually altering the rhythm. His self-control was being pushed to the limits. Every time he tried to take control or reach between their bodies to touch her, she'd bat his hands away.

"Sara, I can't last. Please, let me touch you." Grissom begged.

"In a minute." She panted back to him.

"I'll try." It was obvious that he was using all of his self-control to appease her request. He focused on anything he could to distract him from the wonderful things Sara was doing to his body. Sara finally picked up the speed.

"Touch me now!" She demanded. As soon as his thumb touched her, she exploded. Grissom grabbed her hips to keep her moving up and down on his body so he could join her in bliss. Sara was thankful that Grissom had taken hold of her hips so she could ride through her bliss. She felt it when he joined her and it made her turn to goo in his arms. She snuggled into his side and turned to look at his face.

"You're so pale!" she exclaimed in shock. All he did was chuckle a little.

"Well, my blood was concentrated in a specific area."

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'll feed when we wake in a few hours." He assured her.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, get some rest, honey."

"Ok, goodnight, Gil." She leaned forward for a kiss.

"Goodnight, Sara." He let her snuggle into his side and get comfortable. He held her until he knew she was asleep and then took the opportunity to watch her unguarded face for a few minutes before joining her in sleep. He savored the scent of her as it flooded his nostrils, leading him to have pleasant dreams.

That evening, Gil fed from Sara's thigh and then led her to the shower. They dressed in comfortable silence and made sure the bandage on her neck was concealable. They left for work separately after a good night kiss. Sara arrived at the lab first, as was planned and there, she ran into Brass. He was sitting in the break room with a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Hey, Brass."

"Hey Sara, have you seen Grissom?" Instantly, Sara was on the alert.

"Not since this morning." she answered carefully.

"Are you sure?"

"You don't believe me?" she asked in a joking manner to cover up her unease.

"No." he answered seriously.

"Why?"

"Good evening." Grissom spoke as he strode into the room. Brass looked between the two geeks to discern any difference in their behavior, but nothing appeared different. He looked back at Sara.

"We'll talk later. Gil, do you have a minute?"

"Yes, excuse us, Sara." She nodded.

"See you later." She reached out to pick up a magazine from the table. She realized too late that she should have watched the two men leave the room when Brass spoke up.

"What happened to your neck?" Sara momentarily paused and then carried on as if she never heard him; all while trying to think of a plausible excuse. _Play dumb._ She thought to herself.

"I know you heard me." Brass said.

"Huh?"

"Sara?"

"What?"

"What happened to your neck?" he repeated.

"Oh, that, it's nothing; I'll live." She said vaguely and waved off the explanation with her hand.

"I think you're lying." He accused her. Sara looked lost.

Grissom had gotten all the way to his office and realized that Brass hadn't followed him. At that moment, he sensed Sara's distress and headed back to the break room.

"Hey Jim, I thought you needed to talk to me?" Brass looked a little disappointed by the interruption, but it only lasted for a second.

"Yes, I'm on my way." Brass replied coolly and turned to walk with Grissom.

"See you later." Sara called to their retreating forms and hid her smirk. As she immersed herself in the article in front of her, she slyly readjusted the collar of her shirt.

Brass preceded Gil into the office this time and waited for his friend to shut the door.

"What can I do for you, Jim?"

"Who's the girl?" Brass asked immediately.

"Why does it matter?" Grissom deflected.

"I caught you in a pretty compromising situation; give me a little something to go on here."

"Why should I? You entered my home without my consent and saw a private activity happening in private." Grissom said.

"Was it Sara?"

"What does she have to do with anything?" Grissom knew what Brass was trying to accomplish with this little interrogation and so far it was working. He wasn't sure how much longer he could put off deflecting questions with questions.

"Your mystery woman has the same hair color and style and the same figure as Sara does."

"I'm sure there are a lot of women in Las Vegas with those features." Grissom said.

"What is stopping me from sharing this news with Catherine?" Brass threatened.

"Do you honestly think she will believe you?" Grissom retorted.

"She might; there's only one way to find out." Brass said with a smile.

"Why are you being o ridiculously persistent about this?" Grissom sat at his desk and started to flip through the night's assignments.

"Because I can. If I didn't see the blood, I probably wouldn't say a word. Interestingly enough, the bandage on Sara's neck is in the exact same spot as where I saw your lips on the mystery woman."

"I need to start shift." Grissom attempted a subject change.

"You know I won't say anything."

"Just drop it."

"Just tell me what I want to know." Brass wasn't too proud to beg.

"What do you suspect?" Grissom asked.

"I think you were drinking Sara's blood." Brass stated, bluntly.

"Why would I do that?"

"Fetish?" Brass hazarded a guess.

"It's a risky fetish to have."

"That's true." Brass conceded.

"Any other guesses?"

"No." Grissom was amused to see Brass' energy on the subject deflate a little. He knew he could trust Brass, so he finally caved.

"If I tell you, can it wait until after shift at my place?"

"Yes."

"The deal is off if I hear a word about this and I'm warning you that I have excellent hearing." Grissom threatened.

"I won't say a word." Brass readily agreed.

"Go to work." Grissom moved toward the door of his office.

"I'll see you later. No overtime or I tell." He threw in his own condition. Grissom nodded and both men left the office. Grissom decided to pair Sara with him for the night to keep her away from Brass. He entered the break room and handed out assignments and waited for Sara while everyone else filed out. He needed to talk to her. She stopped in front of him.

"I need to restock a few things in my kit. Meet you at the car?"

"Sure, can you grab some gloves for me?" He asked.

"Sure." He watched her walk away from him and then went to gather his own kit. He knew that he would have time to pull the car around to the front of the building for her while she was getting the things she needed for their kits.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSGRSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: In the next chapter, Grissom gets an unexpected treat from Sara. Stay tuned to find out what it is. Also, the next few chapters will delve into more case work, though more light will be shed on Grissom's past.

Thank you so much for the reviews, please keep them coming. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	6. Chapter 6

Sara left Grissom and diverted down a separate hallway. When she opened the new box of swabs, she flinched from a cardboard cut. Quickly, she grabbed what she needed with her good hand so she didn't contaminate the entire box and left to join Grissom. She periodically put her finger in her mouth to prevent dripping on the floor, but she didn't swallow any of it. She knew Gil would like it. She moved as fast as she could and climbed in the car with him.

He knew something was going on because he sensed an urgency coming from her. He watched the front doors expectantly and sure enough, she burst through it. As soon as she sat down in the cab, he felt his fangs distend.

"What happened?" She said nothing, but motioned for him to start driving.

Three blocks later, she motioned for him to pull over, which he eagerly did. As soon as the car was in park, Sara pulled his face toward hers and opened her mouth. Grissom groaned at the taste; greedily drinking it up. When the kiss broke, she put her finger in his mouth and finally offered an explanation.

"I got a cardboard cut." Grissom cleaned her finger and returned her hand back to her.

"Thank you for the treat." He said and began to drive. Sara applied a band-aid.

"I thought you might like it."

"I did. I have to tell Jim." He felt Sara staring at his profile.

"Why?"

"He's threatening to tell Catherine what he saw. He'd pretty sure it was you that he saw on my counter."

"Are you upset with me?" Her response surprised him, mostly because it wasn't what he thought she was going to say.

"Why would I be upset with you?" Grissom was genuinely curious as to what her answer would be.

"Well, less than twenty-four hours after you tell me, you get caught."

"Did you tell anyone?" he asked.

"No, of course not."

"You kept your word and you also tried to stop me." he said

"Yes."

"Then I'm upset with myself for getting carried away and I'm upset with Jim for walking in, but I'm not upset with you." She smiled and he barely caught it because he was focusing on the road.

"Thank you."

"Do you want me to tell him it was you?" he asked a minute later.

"If you have to."

"I'll try not to and I'll also try to avoid your delectable neck for a while." He reached out to hold her hand.

"Ok." When she saw the flashing lights to indicate their arrival at the scene, she disengaged from his hand. It was just their luck when they looked up to see Brass interviewing some people. He looked up at their approach and smiled widely. He knew that this scene wasn't going to require overtime. Both Grissom and Sara suppressed a groan.

"Hey Grissom, hey Sara." he said when they walked toward him.

"Hello." They chorused back to him. Neither one broke their stride to the scene. Brass paused to finish the mini interview and jogged to catch up to them.

"Hey, don't you want to stop and chat for a bit?" Sara disappeared inside and Grissom conducted a search of the perimeter. Brass followed Grissom.

"Sara's awfully quiet tonight." Brass said conversationally.

"Ok."

"You don't seem bothered by it."

"It has nothing to do with me." Grissom said.

"Are you going to talk to her?"

"Only if it interferes with her work."

"I thought you two were friends." Brass voiced his thought as he watched Grissom photograph and bag some evidence. He then moved to cast a shoe print under the window.

"We are friends. Now, I'm trying to work if you don't mind." Grissom said tersely.

"I don't mind. I'll just go make sure Sara's alright."

"Don't bother her!" Grissom called after him. Brass simply chuckled as he walked away. Grissom put one quarter of his concentration on Sara's heartbeat. It waxed and waned as she moved throughout the house. He knew the exact moment that Jim entered the room she was in because her pulse accelerated ever so slightly and remained as such for several minutes. . He finished his perusal of the perimeter and deposited his evidence next to Sara's growing pile.

"Sara?" He called out to her.

"Bedroom!" she shouted back, so he headed upstairs to find her. She was with the body.

"Hey."

"Hi. This is the last room. At first glance, it appears to be a murder/suicide. We'll know more after the autopsy." she explained.

"Are you almost finished?" he was suddenly feeling ill.

"I think so. Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'll be fine. I'll load up the evidence and take in a visual of the rest of the house."

"Alright." She turned back to her work, but he knew she was worried about him. Near the front door, Brass stopped him.

"Hey, you ok?"

"I'm fine. Stay with her." He ordered, but never faltered in his stride.

"What gives?" Brass asked, his voice laden with concern.

"Something feels off." Grissom admitted.

"Like what?"

"Just stay with her." Grissom stopped to look Brass in the eye, hoping to convey how serious he was with his request. Brass nodded.

"Sure." Brass started walking backward.

"Don't tell her either." Grissom requested.

"Alright." Both men turned back to what their previous tasks. Grissom took a quick tour of the house and started loading up the car. He heard a commotion outside when he was walking with his hands filled with evidence bags. He looked over to see a woman trying to push her way past the officers holding the bystanders at bay.

"That's my daughter's house! Let me through." She was crying hysterically, so Grissom walked up to the woman.

"Excuse me, I'm…"

"Gil?" The woman had ceased her struggle as soon as he started talking. He looked at her and was taken back twenty-five years.

"Melissa?" She smiled that he remembered her name.

"It's been a long time." she said.

"About twenty-five years."

"You look good."

"This is our daughter's house, you say?" he switched the subject.

"Yes" Gil and Melissa shared a look. He knew that she understood his need to remain focused on the case.

"Officers, let her go. Melissa, come with me." He directed and began to escort Melissa a few feet away so that they could have a relatively private conversation. He mentally tuned into Sara's heartbeat to make sure she was ok.

"Shall I worry about the detective and the CSI still in the house?" he asked quietly, knowing she could hear him.

"No, she is adopted. Her parents died in a car crash. I took her in because she was my neighbor. She doesn't, well didn't know about me."

"Melissa, is there any way for me to…" he left the question unanswered on purpose.

"If I die by a stake, they you should change back. I'm not positive though."

"I would never wish that upon you. Why did you do it to me though?" he asked.

"I needed to feed and I took too much. I apologize. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't face you the next day."

"I've made adjustments. Have you changed others?" he asked.

"Three more." She admitted.

"With or without their consent?"

"Two without and the third is my mate." Sara exited the house with Jim and following the bodies. She glanced at Gil. Grissom nodded and turned to Melissa.

"Would you come to the station to answer a few questions and identify the bodies?"

"Yes. She's lovely. Does she know?" Melissa asked, regarding Sara.

"Yes."

"She lets you feed?"

"Yes." Grissom was forced to tell the truth. Melissa would know if he was lying.

"Is she your mate?"

"No. She only just found out two days ago."

"You chose well."

"Thank you. I'll see you at the station. My partner will do most of the questioning. I strongly urge you to cooperate with her."

"Are you angry with me?" She put her hand on his arm and he also knew Sara could see him from where she was. .

"I don't know. Some days I am very angry with you. I'm not sure how Sara will react and I'm not planning to tell her until after this case is over, but she's more likely to figure it out. I won't lie if she questions me."

"I've always admired that about you, Gil; an honest gentlemen to the core."

"Thank you. I'll see you later."

"Yes, Gil, I'll be there." Grissom nodded and turned toward the car where Sara was waiting. He stopped in front of Brass. She says it's her daughter's house; her adopted daughter. She's on her way to the station right now for questioning." Brass nodded and sat in his car. Grissom climbed into the car with Sara and sighed to himself. He started the car and ignored Sara's eyes on him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine." He put the car in gear.

"Who was that woman?" she asked the question that he knew was coming. It was time to decide if he was going to tell her everything now or just employ the 'need to know' tactic with her. He had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate either choice though she would understand his dilemma.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: There is a lot of conversation on its way and in the coming chapters two more people will be let in on the secret. Someone will be injured and someone else's ex makes an appearance.

Let me know what you think. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	7. Chapter 7

"Uh, that was Melissa. She said that the victim is her adopted daughter." Grissom decided to tell her information related to the case and then fill her in on his connection after it was closed.

"You know her?" He knew she would pick up on the fact that he used Melissa's first name.

"Yes."

"May I ask where you know her from?" He didn't detect any hint of jealousy from her, for which he was thankful.

"Can I tell you after the case is closed?" he asked.

"Sure." He heard the light insecurity in her face.

"Sara, I will tell you, but just not now. Ok?"

"Ok."

"You'll be doing most of the questioning. I'll process and validate her claim by checking adoption records." He told her casually.

"Ok."

"Don't be angry, honey." He felt it when her gaze swung over to him.

"It's her isn't it? She's the one from college." He knew she would figure it out.

"Yes."

"Did you ask her why…"

"She needed to feed and took too much by accident. She said she couldn't face me the next day. She also knows about us." He interrupted the question she was asking.

"How?"

"She can read me just as easily as you can. She made me, so in a sense, she's like my mother. It's how I can read you, too."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I can listen to your heartbeat from as far away as a mile. I can smell you hen you're near. I'm in tune with your body. She took one glance at you and knew that you had allowed me to feed from you. She can smell traces of me on you." he explained.

"Is it like marking territory?" she asked and he couldn't suppress his chuckle.

"I guess, but I don't view it that way and I won't unless someone else tries to feed from you."

"Do you think of me as yours?" she asked and he picked up a hint of hopefulness in her voice, though she was striving for casual.

"I do, but if at any time you feel it's no longer working, I would let you go." He glanced over and saw a smile grace her face.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He replied.

"Have you thought of what to tell Jim yet?"

"Not really, but I have some time. Let's get to work." He parked the car at the lab, but before he could exit the car, Sara put her hand on his arm.

"Is that why you looked so ill at the crime scene; because of her?"

"Yes."

If you think of me as yours, do I get to think of you as mine?"

"Naturally." He offered her a ghost of a smile.

"Ok, now let's get to work. I'm hungry, too."

"Go ahead and grab a quick bite to eat after we log our evidence."

"Thanks, do you have a taste for anything in particular?" she offered almost silently.

"No thank you. Enjoy your lunch." He said and they walked into the building together. As soon as they entered the lab, Judy stopped them.

"Excuse me Dr. Grissom, you have a visitor." The pair turned where visitors usually waited. They saw Melissa sitting on the bench and walked over to her.

"Hello Melissa, if you don't mind waiting another thirty minutes or so, we'll be happy to speak with you." Grissom said.

"That's fine. I'm here to help in any way I can." They nodded and left her waiting there. Sara quickly ate something while Grissom logged all of the evidence, and used his authority to push his lab requests ahead. They met back up with Melissa thirty-five minutes later.

"Sara, this is Melissa…"

"Morgan." She finished for him.

"Melissa Morgan, this is my partner Sara Sidle." Both women knew that there was more than one meaning to the partner reference.

"Pleased to meet you." Melissa held out her hand.

"Thank you. Shall we go to a more private room or would you like to view the bodies and see if it's your daughter?" Sara asked.

"I'd like to see if she's my daughter first, please." Sara smiled sadly and gestured her arm deeper into the lab. Gil was on the phone to tell Doc Robbins that a visitor was on her way to view the bodies.

"It's right this way." Since Sara had some extra knowledge of Melissa, she figured that she could start the questioning while they walked as long as she

kept her voice down.

"Did your daughter have a roommate?" Sara asked.

"Her fiancée just moved in two weeks ago. He's an accountant and they met when he was hired at her accounting firm."

"Did she have any enemies or know o anyone that may want to harm her?"

"Not that I know of. We spoke frequently and her social calendar was always full." Melissa answered.

"When was the last time you saw her or her fiancée?"

"I saw them both last night when they came over for dinner. They went home around ten." Sara opened the doors to the morgue and straight up to the tables that Doc Robbins had indicated. Sara reached out and uncovered the heads of both of the bodies. Melissa's face clearly reflected that she knew the female victim.

"That's my Amy, but I don't know who that man is. He isn't John." Sara covered up the unidentified victim.

"Do you need a minute alone with Amy?" Sara offered.

"Please." Melissa nodded. Gil, Sara and Doc Robbins stepped across the room. Melissa spoke very softly to Amy's body knowing that Gil could hear her. A minute or two later, Gil and Sara escorted Melissa to one of the interrogation rooms. Sara again, took the lead in the questioning while Grissom took notes of the conversation.

"One last thing before you go, Ms. Morgan. May we have you address and phone number to contact you again if we have any more questions?" Sara asked. Melissa wrote down the necessary information for Sara and stood to leave. At the door, she turned to the two CSI's.

"Are you going to find John?"

"I already have our detective out there looking for him. I'm sure we'll be able to find him. Unfortunately, I can' discuss an ongoing case with you, but I will do my best to keep you up to date."

"Thank you. I would appreciate that." Melissa said. She whispered something quietly to Gil and stepped out of the room. Sara looked at Gil.

"What did she say?" Sara asked as soon as the door closed.

"She told me to take care of you; or else." Sara smiled.

"Going to take her advice?"

"Yes." He stood from his seat and walked over to her. She was smiling broadly. Grissom returned her smile and then stiffened. He realized too late that they were not having a private conversation. Sara stared at him quizzically.

"What is it?"

"We're not alone. Let's save this conversation for a more appropriate time." He looked at the mirror.

"Jim, we'll chat later." Grissom opened the door and led Sara through it. As they passed the observation room, Brass opened the door to openly stare at the pair. Neither one said anything to him as they passed, though they did begin discussing the case again. Brass glanced down at his watch and frowned when he realized that there were still three hours left in their shift. He headed to his own office to work on some overdue paperwork as well as check on the process to find Amy's fiancée, John. He made sure to keep a keen eye on the clock; a sure sign that he was anxious to hear Gil's news.

Gil and Sara separated when they reentered the lab. Gil was in his office securing proof that Melissa had adopted Amy. Sara was busy checking on lab results and collecting what she could work with in the layout room. These activities kept them both busy for the next three hours.

Jim Brass eagerly grabbed his things as soon as shift was over. Grissom, as he suspected, was still working at his desk and most likely unaware of the time. He cleared his throat from the doorway.

"Hey, Gil, shift is over. We have a deal and I presume you intend to hold up your end of the bargain as I have?"

"I will. Can I have one more hour to grab a bite to eat?"

"Sure, want to hit the diner?" Brass offered.

"No thank you. I'll just meet you at my place in an hour." Grissom stood up to gather his things as well.

"One hour." Jim said and Gil knew that Brass would call Catherine if he didn't show up. Brass left and Grissom was following the same path two minutes later. He was in his car before he called Sara.

"_Sidle."_

"Hey."

"_Hi."_

"Shift is over."

"_Ok, where am I meeting you?"_

"Your place, if you don't mind."

"_I'm on my way."_

"Ok. I told Jim I'd meet him at my place in an hour."

"_Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can."_

"Thank you."

"_Bye."_

"Bye." He heard Sara packing up the evidence as they talked so he drove straight to her place.

Sara was rushing out of the building within three minutes of ending the phone call with Grissom. When she pulled into her parking lot, she saw Grissom's empty car. He was waiting in front of her front door when she walked up. He stepped aside to let her pass and then waited in the hall after she went inside. She finally turned around when she realized he wasn't beside her.

"Why are you out there?"

"You haven't invited me in." He stated simply.

"What?"

"I need to be invited in."

"That's actually true?" she asked with disbelief in her voice.

"Time is wasting, Sara." He reminded her.

"Oh, come in." Grissom closed the door and then felt himself pulled by the collar toward her lips.

"Have your snack." she said breathlessly and offered up her wrist.

"Will you come with me to talk to Jim?"

"Yes, I'll go with you." She used her free hand to stroke the hair on the back of his head. She absolutely loved the feel of his hair and luxuriated in being able to run her fingers through it. He finished and bandaged her wrist up.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. You'll also be happy to know that next week, I get my period."

"I knew that."

"What?"

"I can smell you. I've even tracked your cycle to confirm my olfactory clues."

"That's a little creepy." she told him.

"I'm sorry?" Both of them knew he didn't truly mean it. She just made a face at him and turned to get an overnight bag together so she could sleep at his place. Grissom waited patiently for her and together, they walked back out to his car.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSR

A/N: Well, the big reveal to Brass will happen in the next chapter. How do you think he will take it?

Reviews are wanted and appreciated. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	8. Chapter 8

Sara kept her face hidden as they arrived at Gil's place. Jim was waiting on the bench near Grissom's front door when they pulled up. He carried Sara's bag for her and she continued to hide her face.

"Hey Jim, sorry I'm late." Grissom said.

"Where were you?" Brass glanced as his watch to emphasize that he'd been waiting for almost twenty minutes.

"I had to take care of a few things. I'm here now."

"Are you going to introduce me?" Brass asked, gesturing toward Sara. Sara remained silent and as soon as they were inside, she disappeared down the hallway.

"Not yet. Would you like something to drink?" Grissom offered.

"I'm good for right now. Let's talk."

"Have a seat." Grissom led Brass over to the couch and he sat in a nearby chair. This is when Brass noticed that the group of three had diminished to two.

"Where's your friend?"

"She's around." Grissom answered.

"Is she the same woman I saw yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Were you really drinking her blood?" Brass asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She let me and I need it to survive."

"Survive?" Brass raised an eyebrow at this.

"Yes, I've been drinking blood for about twenty-five years or so."

"This is crazy, but you're describing the characteristics of a vampire." Brass tried to laugh it off.

"I know."

"So, you are one?"

"Yes." Brass sat back to process the information. He looked over at Grissom a minute later.

"You've hid it well."

"I work hard at it. I have your promise not to say a word, right?"

"Yes. You know, I could use that drink right about now."

"Sure." Grissom poured a glass of scotch for Brass and while he was in the kitchen, his ears picked up on a new sound. It was coming from the room that Sara was hiding in.

"Brass, excuse me for a moment, please." Brass nodded and took a drink. Grissom swiftly walked toward his room when the scent of her hit him below the belt. _She wouldn't_, he told himself the lie and silently opened the door to his room. Sure enough, she was on the bed pleasuring himself.

"Is he gone?" she panted.

"Sadly no, and you're not being very fair." He was mesmerized by the movement of her fingers between her legs.

"I want you." she moaned.

"Likewise."

"Get rid of him."

"I'm going to tell him it was you, finish up."

"You do it." She challenged.

"I'd like to very much, but I have a guest." He argued.

"Mmm, join me." He knew she was close to finishing. He could hear the changes in her respiration. He closed his door and joined her on the bed. He removed her fingers from her body to replace them with his own. He was fast and relentless after covering her mouth with his to capture the noises she was making. He broke the kiss and she was panting for breath. He smiled at her.

"Thank you." she told him with a smile. He got off the bed and cleaned off his fingers.

"You're welcome. Please get dressed and join me in the family room." Grissom fought with his body to calm down and wait until he was alone with Sara. He finally left and found Brass in the kitchen pouring a second glass.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes, thank you." Grissom answered.

"So, who'd he mystery girl?"

"Sara."

"Sara Sidle?" Brass asked, shocked that he was right.

"The one and only."

"When did this start?" he asked.

"She found out a few days ago."

"You better not be jerking her around." Brass warned him.

"I'm not." Grissom assured him.

"I mean it."

"I know."

"Where is she?"

"She's in my room; she'll be out in a minute." Just as he finished, he looked toward his bedroom and heard her walking down the hall. She was wearing his shirt and boxers, causing Grissom to become eager to get Jim out of his house. She gave him a knowing look. She met the two men in the kitchen.

"Hey Brass."

"I knew it was you when I was here last."

"I know."

"Are you really ok with this?" Brass asked.

"I love him." Sara said and stood between Brass and Grissom. Grissom stood proud. Brass studied her eyes. She softly smiled and nodded to reaffirm her words. Satisfied that he knew what he needed to know, Brass picked up her hand and placed it in Gil's.

"You take care of her." He threatened Gil.

"I will."

"Melissa is a vampire too, isn't she?"

"She's the one who changed me." Gil answered.

"What?"

"It was a long time ago. I forgave her."

"Can you turn back?" Brass asked hopefully.

"Melissa thinks that if she dies by a stake through the heart, it should change me back. She's not positive, though and I'm not worried. I don't plan to live forever."

"Really?"

"Really. Don't worry about anything, I've got everything under control."

"I trust you." Brass said.

"We have your word, right?" Grissom asked.

"Yes." Sara felt Grissom relax his posture behind her.

"Thank you." he said. Brass smiled.

"I'll see myself out."

"Bye." Sara called out to him. Brass waved behind him and Sara waited until the door shut to rush over and lock the deadbolt. When she turned to face Gil, she was shocked to find that he had followed her.

"Take me to bed and make me yours." Sara demanded softly, though her voice was dripping with seduction.

"As you wish." He whispered just as softly. He swooped her up in his arms, carried her bridal style to his bed, and proceeded to carry out her passionate demands. Sara was unable to speak for several minutes afterward and Gil was trying very hard to wipe the smug smile off of his face. Sara snuggled in his arms and pulled the covers over their heads. Gil reached an arm out to set the alarm before hugging Sara closer to his side. It was Sara's turn to donate at the lab, so neither worried about him needing to eat.

Sara woke up panting and sweating from an extremely erotic dream involving her and Gil. Knowing that her companion wouldn't complain, she straddled his body. She flipped the covers back to shock him awake with a sudden chill. It worked because his eyes popped open, but before he could even open his mouth, Sara kissed him. During the kiss, Sara used her hips to tell him what she wanted. His boy responded accordingly, causing Sara to position herself the way she had been in her dream. Gil watched her turn away from him, remaining on all fours. It didn't take long for Grissom to rearrange his body and join with hers. Sara cried out in pleasurable relief; continuing to moan and encourage his efforts.

The few encounters with Sara and the years worth of smelling her scent allowed Grissom to understand her body well. He used this knowledge to his advantage to maximize her pleasure. His hands caressed her body and squeezed her ass all while his hips kept a steady rhythm of thrusting.

"So good! Don't stop!" Sara managed to gasp her pleasure as well as reaching behind her to caress his hip. All he could do was grunt. Feeling his control slipping, Grissom reached down between her legs to rub the very sensitive core of her libido. Sara responded by pushing herself closer to him and moaning at the same time. With his release imminent, Gil picked up the pace. Sara forced him to leave her body at this point and pushed him back on the bed. She covered him with her mouth and moved down his body. It was his turn to moan as he felt the warmth of her mouth on his arousal. He sank his hands in her hair without being controlling of her rhythm. He free hand slowly massaged his thighs; finally settling on the sack between them.

"Feels good; so close honey." He moaned.

"Good." He wasn't sure which comment her response was directed to, but at the moment, he reached his peak. Sara swallowed every drop he had to give and tied in vain to hide her smug smile. A minute later, he flipped her on her back, then flasher a wicked grin.

"My turn." he told her.

"You're racing the alarm clock." she reminded him.

"I'm the boss. I can be late."

"Yeah, well, I'm not. I'm always early." she said.

"You're wasting time."

"Sorry; kiss me."

"I intend to do more than kiss you." he whispered his words across her skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. He ended his trek at her mouth and used his tongue to duel with hers. He tasted himself in her mouth and sunk two fingers inside her body. The fingers moved steadily while his mouth moved down his body. Sara moaned loudly. She kept her hands busy; one hand held his free hand and the other wound itself tightly in his sweaty curls. With one powerful swipe to her center, Sara climaxed on his fingers. Gil continued his rhythm to prolong her pleasure. Neither heard the being on the nightstand. Sara lay on the bed like a limp noodle.

"It's a tie." Gil said and she tiredly chuckled.

"It's time to get dressed because we need to go to work."

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

"It's your donation night. I'll make you breakfast, though." He offered as he leaned over her, resting the bulk of his weight on his elbow.

"What am I having?" she asked.

"A veggie omelet."

"Yummy."

"Go shower." He ordered, playfully.

"Yes sir." He glared at her, with a smirk on his mouth, as he pulled on a pair of jeans. She smiled and walked away. Ten minutes later, Sara entered the kitchen fully dressed for work and towel drying her hair. Seeing the play Gil had made, she sat down to eat in earnest. Grissom took her towel and left for his own shower.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: I'm sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter. I will try to post again in a few days. Life is crazy at my house right now. Among the craziness is my sons five extra-curricular activities and my own dealings with a three year old on top of fighting with first trimester fatigue. Hopefully things will settle down soon. Thank you for your patience. Reviews are wanted and appreciated. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	9. Chapter 9

Sara had already left when Grissom came back from his shower. He smiled at her thoughtfulness to clean up the dishes before she left. His hunger dictated that he get to work as soon as possible. She was laughing with Greg and Nick when he entered the break room.

"Good evening." he said from the doorway and received five distracted 'his' in return. He sat down across from Sara with an unopened bottle of juice in his hands.

"Ok, everyone, let's get started." he said just as Sara was threatening Nick,

"If you tickle me, I will hurt you." Grissom cleared his throat and finally all eyes were on him.

"Catherine, how's your case coming along?"

"I'm still waiting on some test results." She answered.

"Good; take Greg and start a new one. A lifeguard drowned." He handed he slip to Catherine, which she took as her and Greg left the room.

"Warrick, you've got court tomorrow morning. Get your notes together and go home to prep." Warrick immediately left the room.

"Nick, you're on a trick roll and Sara, you get to donate and then we have a case." Nick left in one direction and Grissom followed Sara to his office. The office was already sealed off from prying eyes. He leisurely kissed her and set her in the chair before locking the door. Sara offered her right arm to him. He leaned over to feed and took his time. Ten minutes later, he was sealing the bandage on her arm. He palmed her cheek.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Grissom got up and then pulled her to her feet.

"It's time to work." he said. She followed him to the door and they collected their kits.

"I called Jim, but he hasn't been able to find the fiancée."

"Maybe Melissa knows how to find him." Sara suggested.

"Call her and meet me at the scene." Sara nodded and went to her desk to find the contact information Melissa had given them. After thirty minutes of unsuccessful attempts, she called Grissom to get the address of the newest scene. He told her and she thought he sounded weird, so she made every effort to get to him as soon as possible.

Despite all the police around, the scene was quiet when she arrived. She quickly made her way to Gil's side and followed his silent gaze.

"Well, I guess I know why she didn't answer my phone calls."

"Yeah." He agreed. Sara looked at him in concern.

"Are you ok?"

"I don't know."

"I'll process here. You stay nearby. I feel weird." she said.

"Me too and I have no intention of leaving your side."

"Why not? Need to protect your meal provider?" a new voice startled them from behind, causing both of them to whirl around.

"John?" Sara guessed.

"Lucky guess." He confirmed.

"We've been trying to find you." she said.

"I know." He replied and produced a wooden stake; identical to the one protruding from Melissa's chest. Grissom flinched ever so slightly and Sara started to edge herself in front of him.

"I don't think you'll need that." Sara said, conversationally.

"Why not?"

"All it will do is cause splinters." Sara shrugged.

"Ah, a comedienne is in our midst." John sneered at her.

"No, I'm merely an honest woman." Sara made sure that she was fully between John and Gil the entire time.

"I'm surprised that you haven't called the cops yet."

"Why would I call on the people to clear the house to protect me now when it's too late?"

"Good point. I watched, they aren't on the ball tonight."

"Did you kill Amy?" Sara asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I found out about her mother and I didn't want to be turned. Amy was frightened, saying she didn't know what I was talking about." He explained.

"She didn't know." Gil added and John flashed angry eyes in his direction.

"Oh? I'm supposed to take the word of a blood sucker?"

"John?" Sara redirected the attention back to her.

"Amy was adopted. Didn't she tell you?" she asked.

"No."

"How did you find out about Melissa?" she asked.

"I saw her."

"What was she doing?"

"Drinking blood."

"Whose blood?" Sara kept the attention on her as well as the questioning. She had to keep him talking. Grissom wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Her husbands."

"How do you know it wasn't a fetish?"

"I saw her fangs." Something wasn't adding up for Sara, so she kept probing.

"Was it consensual?"

"It appeared so." John answered casually.

"It's not against the law the drink someone's blood." She said.

"Yes, you would know that, wouldn't you?" he snapped at her.

"It's my job to know the law. There was a man with Amy; do you know who he was?" she diverted.

"He was my business partner. He followed me and threatened to tell the authorities. I couldn't let that happen."

"Did you love Amy?" she asked, suddenly switching topics. She hoped to appeal to his sentimental side.

"I thought I did."

"Can I have the stake?" Sara asked softly.

"No! I need to rid the world of their kind!" He snapped, angrily motioning to Gil with murder in his eyes.

"He's an innocent man, give me the stake, John." Sara said calmly.

"No he isn't. I know he is one." Sara knew that John was close to losing his control, she just hoped that she was fat enough to protect Gil.

"No, he's not." Sara assured him.

"He was yesterday. I saw you two in your car. I looked up just in time to see him suck on your finger." Sara knew what felt off. There was no way he could have seen him sucking the blood off her finger unless he was looking in the window; it was too dark outside.

"He's not, you took care of that." Sara gestured to Melissa.

"Please give me the stake." Sara held her hand out in a non-threatening manner. John tossed it to himself in the air.

"Ok." As soon as he caught it, he threw it at her. Gil had been anticipating a move like that and turned their bodies just in time to catch the stake in his arm. Sara ducked out of Gil's grasp and grabbed her gun at the same time. She fired one shot into Johns shoulder, knowing this would signal the officers.

"I missed on purpose, John. Don't tempt me." Grissom finally pieced everything together. He took the stake from his arm and handed it to Sara. She instinctively shot the other arm and drove the stake clean through his chest.

"Bitch!" John yelled.

"You lied, didn't you? Amy was the one to find out about you, wasn't she?"

"Yes."

"That's also how you knew what happened last night, isn't it?"

"You would have made a fine feast. You smell delightful." He struggled to say, and Sara knew that the interrogation was over. The police arrived just as he fell to the floor and died. Sara glared at the officers.

"Way to clear the house. Check it again and radio for an ambulance." She ordered and herded everyone out of the room. Gil protested, but could sense her determination, fear, and anger, so he submitted to her will. She led him to the back of the Denali and made him sit in the open trunk.

"Open your shirt." She commanded.

"Sara…"

"NOW!" she yelled, interrupting his protest. Her voice belayed a hint of fear and once again, he complied with her demands. She tended to his arm as best she could with a first aid kit and had just finished cleaning the wound when the ambulance pulled up.

"Sara?" She whirled around to the new voice.

"hank." She said dryly.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but Grissom needs his arm tended to." She looked at Grissom for a second and then walked away without another word. Grissom saw her pull her phone out and put it to her ear.

"_Brass."_

"Are you busy?"

"_Are you okay?"_

"Not really?"

"_What happened?"_

"I need alcohol. This is one of the worst nights I've had in a long time."

"_Did Gil screw up already?"_

"No; come you come to our scene? Please?" She knew her voice was desperate, but she didn't care.

"_I'm on my way. Where are you?"_ Sara told him the address and hung up. She went back into the house to process, but was halted at the door by Grissom barking her name. She stopped and turned around to glare at him.

"What?"

"You will wait for me." He ordered. Sara huffed and sat down on the front step. Hank finished up bandaging Grissom's arm and left. Gil jogged over to her. He used his good arm to pull her to her feet and guided her away from the house and people so they could have a relatively private conversation.

"Are you okay?" he asked and waited patiently for her answer.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: So, for those of you who guessed Hank would show up and Grissom being the one who gets hurt, great job. In the next chapter, two new people will be let in on the secret and Sara will have to break up a fight. Reviews are wanted and appreciated. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	10. Chapter 10

"No, I'm not. Are you okay?" she asked.

"I don't know." Grissom answered honestly.

"How's your arm?"

"I'll live." As he said the words, they took on a whole new meaning.

"Yeah, you will, won't you?" Sara had a soft smile to offer him.

"I love you." Grissom whispered.

"I love you, too." Sara whispered back to him, which turned out to be a good thing since Brass walked up to them a second later.

"What happened?" he demanded of the pair. They told him everything. Brass was shocked. He excused himself to ream out the officers in charge of clearing the scene. Sara steeled herself for what she was about to do.

"Let's go finish." Grissom grabbed her elbow.

"No, I'll call Catherine."

"Who do you trust the most? You're going to have to tell them." She told him.

"I know. You'd be my first choice for something like this. Warrick's at home prepping for court, so I can't call him. I'll call Catherine and we'll go from there." He pulled out his phone.

"_Willows."_

"Where are you on your case?" he asked.

"_Greg's running it and doing a good job."_

"I need you to come over to mine and Sara's. It's important and there's a lot of background information we'll need to tell you."

"_Sounds serious." _

"It is; Sara just killed our suspect."

"_I'm on my way."_

"Don't tell anyone." he said and hung up. Sara was standing there, mute. She'd already handed over her gun to Brass, who promptly placed it in an evidence bag. Grissom knew she wouldn't say another word to anyone until it was time to talk to Catherine and whichever detective she brought with her.

"Excuse me, I need a minute." Sara whispered and walked away to seal herself in the Denali. In the backseat, she sat on the floor and shed just a few tears to release some of the built up stress caused in the last hour. She lost all track of time during her self-imposed isolation. She was startled by a knock on the window. She unlocked the door and saw Brass waiting patiently.

"Catherine is here with Vartaan, they are ready to take statements."

"Is it my turn?"

"No, Grissom is talking to them now. He has the most to say."

"No kidding." Sara climbed down from the car and leaned against it until it was her turn. Brass waited silently next to her.

****GSRGSRGSR***

"Ok Gil, what happened?" Catherine asked. Both she and Vartaan were ready to take notes.

"We were called out to the DB tonight. The victim turned out to be the adoptive mother of our victim from last week. Something felt off, and we were right. The guy we've been looking for, for a week appeared. He killed three people including our victim tonight. He got fed up talking to Sara and threw his weapon at her when she asked him to hand it to her. I saw it coming and took it in the arm. She shot him in the shoulder. He was ready to pounce again so she shot the other shoulder and then took the stake from my arm and drove it through his chest."

"A wooden stake?" Catherine asked, and her voice conveyed the doubt she had in her mind.

"As in vampires?" Vartaan continued on Catherine's train of thought.

"Yes; he was one." Grissom confirmed.

"I feel like I'm missing something else." Catherine said.

"You are." Grissom was getting nervous, he was fighting every instinct he had that told him to run away.

"Enlighten us, please." Vartaan requested. Grissom took a deep breath and stared at the ground for a minute to gather his courage.

"Ok. Last week we were called out to a house three streets over. The victim was a young woman named Amy. There was also a John Doe. Outside, a woman claimed to be Amy's mother, which we were able to verify through adoption records. The mother turned out to be a girl I knew in college. Her name was Melissa." Grissom paused for a minute.

"I have your complete confidence? If this gets out, I will quit and leave town." Catherine and Vartaan knew that grissom was absolutely serious. They exchanged a glance and then nodded.

"Melissa was a vampire. She took advantage of me one night and turned me into one as well. John, Amy's fiancée, saw Melissa with her husband, drinking his blood. He killed Amy. His friend had tried to stop him and was killed too. He killed Melissa tonight and we figured out that he was one. He just wasn't that smart or that old."

"What do you mean?" Vartaan asked.

"Sense's become much more acute. Each person has their own heart rate or a way they walk. When someone is bedded by a vampire, other know it by scent." Grissom explained.

"Like marking territory." Vartaan asked.

"Yes."

"You are one?" Catherine clarified.

"Melissa's death may have reversed it." Grissom closed his eyes and listened for Sara's heartbeat, amazed that he could still hear it.

"I don't think it worked. Melissa thought that her death would have changed me back; and now that she's dead, I seem to still be one. It hasn't interfered with my life before and it won't now."

"Whoa." Catherine said more to herself than anyone else.

"Who else knows?" Vartaan asked.

"Sara and Brass. Both of them found out within in the last week."

"But…"

"If these are personal questions, I'll answer them in private." Grissom interrupted Catherine.

"You can count on it." Vartaan assured him.

"Did John do anything else?" Catherine asked.

"He said he knew I was a vampire. He made inappropriate remarks at Sara, who kept herself between the two of us at all times." Grissom explained.

"Inappropriate, how?" Vartaan asked.

"Referring to her as my meal provider and saying she would make a fine feast. He called her a bitch when she drove the stake in." Grissom's voice had an angry tone to it as he recalled the nasty things John had said to Sara.

"Meal provider?" Catherine asked.

"When Sara found out, she took some time to think and consented to my request of feeding from her."

"Is she…" Vartaan asked.

"No, I'm very careful about that." Grissom answered the question Vartaan had been about to ask.

"Information overload." Catherine muttered.

"No kidding." Vartaan agreed.

"Well, Sara will tell you the same thing I just did about tonight and Brass is here for her moral support." Grissom said.

"You we still want to talk to them." Vartaan said.

"I know, are we through?" Grissom asked.

"I suppose; I know how to find you." Catherine said. Grissom walked away from everyone. He focused on his own body, trying to figure out what was happening to it. He closed his eyes and focused on hearing Catherine. He found that he could still hear her. They were talking to Brass, who other than handing over Sara's gun, had nothing to add. Bras walked away from Catherine and Vartaan a minute or two later and stood next to Grissom while they waited for Sara to finish.

"How are you holding up?" Brass asked.

"I'll survive."

"Do they know?"

"Yes." Grissom said quietly.

"Can you still hear them?" Brass wondered.

"I can, but I'm trying not to listen out f respect. I never abused my gifts, except concerning Sara." Grissom explained. He felt, more than saw, Brass' gaze swing in his direction.

"What do you mean?"

"I would tease her to learn how my words or actions affected her. I didn't stalk her or listen on phone calls."

"You used hr feelings for you against her?" Brass asked angrily.

"Sort of."

"If we were alone, I would beat the hell out of you." Brass was seething with anger. He shoved Grissom.

"Do you have any idea the hell you've single handedly put that girl through, you son-of-a-bitch?"

"Yes." Grissom answered quietly.

"And you did it anyway?" Brass advanced again.

"Do you think I enjoyed it?" Grissom asked, incredulously.

"You must have, you've been doing it for years." Brass shoved him again and this time Sara ran over to stand between them.

"Stop." she ordered.

"But, Sara…" She put up a hand.

"I said, stop! I can handle it. This isn't the time or the place." Brass visually reminded himself of just how many people were around; and watching.

"You're right. I'll be in my car. Call me when we can talk." Brass walked away and Sara turned to Grissom.

"I don't know what happened and right now I don't want to know. We'll talk later." Sara left him standing there to finish her interview. She'd been in the middle of recounting her version of what happened in the house and justifying the discharge of her weapon when out of the corner of her eye, she saw the altercation between Brass and Grissom. She settled it and returned to the conversation.

"I'm sorry about that. Where were we?" Sara asked.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: Ok, I know it wasn't much of a fight, but Sara did have to break it up. In the coming chapters, Catherine and Vartaan will learn a little more about Grissom and Sara. Sara will also learn about why Brass was so angry. How do you think she will react?

Reviews are wanted and appreciated. I'll try, but most likely, I won't post again until next week because I am leaving town this weekend. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	11. Chapter 11

"You were telling us what happened in the house tonight." Catherine reminded Sara.

"Oh, well, Something felt off and out of nowhere, this guy shows up behind me. He said he knew all about vampires and that Grissom was on. He admitted to killing the two victims from our case last week and then the DB from tonight. He said I would make a good feast. When I got to asking for his weapon, he agreed and then threw it at me. Grissom got in the way and the stake struck him in the arm. I shot him a second time and the drove the stake through his heart. Afterward, I treated Grissom's arm until the paramedics arrived. I called Brass to be with me and we discussed whether to call you or Warrick. I sealed myself in the Denali until you arrived."

"Thank you." Vartaan said. Catherine looked at Sara.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Sara said and all three of them knew it was an automatic response.

"Grissom told us that any personal questions we have, he would answer in private. Will you be there, too?" Catherine asked.

"Probably, I know you have questions, like Grissom, I would much rather answer them in private."

"Thank you. As you can imagine, I'm bursting with questions." Catherine said.

"I was too." Sara softly smiled and excused herself. She didn't wait for anyone; she just crawled in the Denali and drove away. Grissom was flabbergasted that she left without him. He asked Brass for a ride back to the lab. During the trip, Sara sent hi a text message: **logged evidence and went home.** He would have to track her down and it was a high priority on his list.

"Going to Sara's?" Brass asked quietly.

"Yes."

"I'll join you."

"I need a head start." Grissom said.

"How long?"

"I'll call you. Thanks for the ride." Grissom left the car and headed inside. He checked on their evidence and left a note on his door informing everyone of his departure. He knocked on Sara's door with no response. After five minutes, he called her. It took another five minutes of non-stop ringing for her to pick up.

"_Shidle."_ She slurred.

"Open your door." Grissom said.

"_Can't."_

"Why?"

"_I'm stuck."_

"Where?"

"_I don't know."_

"Are you drunk?" he knew the answer to his question, he just needed to hear it.

"_Yep."_ Sara exaggerated the word. He sighed quietly to himself and reminded himself to remain calm.

"Look around; what do you see?"

"_White."_

"Anything else?"

"_It's cold."_

"Did you throw up?"

"_I don't remember."_

"Do you have a spare key?"

"_I don't remember."_

"I'll be there soon."

"_Bye, bye."_

"Bye." Grissom hung up and conducted a brief search of her front door and surrounding area, in hopes of finding a key. He gave up and went down to the manager's office. The door flung open.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want?"

"I'm Gil Grissom with the crime lab. I need you to open Sara Sidle's apartment. She's stuck in her bathroom." Grissom explained as he flashed his identification badge.

"I'm her boss. If you need more proof, I'd be happy to call a detective friend of mine." He added when the man made no indication of moving. The angry man grumbled and tightened the belt on his robe. He picked up a key ring and closed the door behind him.

"Follow me." He grumbled.

"Thank you. My apologies for waking you up."

"Whatever." He unlocked Sara's door and the two men verified that Sara was in her bathroom before the manger left Grissom alone with her. Gil took his time, but managed to get Sara off the floor. He carried her to bed and stripped most of her clothes from her. After covering her up, he cleaned the bathroom and tried to find the source of the hangover she was going to have. It appeared that she was alternating between drinking beer and gulping tequila. He dumped all of her liquor in the sink and sat quietly in hr living room. He tested his senses as he was still unsure of his status. He could still hear Sara's breathing and the steady beat of her heart. He went to see her. Her face was scrunched up in pain and she was waking up.

"Sara, what is it?" She didn't flinch from the sound of his voice, so her hangover hasn't begun yet.

"Cramp." She moved to get out of bed and he was at her side to help her to the bathroom. He waited while she took care of her needs and then helped her get back to bed. The scent of her body encouraged the growth of his fangs; proving to him that the theory about Melissa's death reverting him back to human was wrong.

"Sara, you have to start sobering up. Come on, I'll make you coffee." He offered.

"No!" Sara pushed him away and immediately reached for him when she lost her balance.

"Why did you do this to yourself?" he asked softly. She didn't answer, but instead, began sobbing. He led them to the couch. She crawled in his lap. As tempting as Sara was, Grissom couldn't feed from her because of the alcohol coursing through her system. He ignored his phone when it started to ring, and continued to hold Sara. Eventually, she settled back to sleep and he carried her back to bed. Only then, did he return the missed call.

"_Brass."_

"She went and got herself. She's passed out on her bed."

"_I'm on my way."_

"Thanks." The two men hung up and Grissom looked out the window. Seeing daylight approach forced him o lose the drapes and blinds. All of his sunscreen was at his place, so he was stuck in Sara's apartment until nightfall. His next phone call was to Catherine.

"Willows."

"Hi."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Sara's. How's the case coming?"

"You've put me in a real pickle here."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"How is Sara?"

"She's not doing well right now. Do you want some answers?"

"Yes."

"Get Vartaan and come on over. I can't leave until dark."

"Ok, we'll be on our way in a few minutes."

"Can you also stop at the store for some food? Sara has nothing in her fridge except coffee and cream."

"What do you want?"

"Eggs, bread, and some veggies; I'll reimburse you."

"Ok, we'll see you in a bit."

"Thanks, bye." He hung up and went to check on Sara. She was still sleeping soundly and he planned on letting stay that way. He did manage to put some shorts on her legs in case she started wandering around while their friends were there. Jim Brass knocked on her door seconds after he left Sara's room. Grissom automatically let him in.

"How is she?" Brass demanded to know.

"She's going to have one hell of a hangover. She was drinking beer and tequila. I've cleaned her up and put her to bed, but she wouldn't tell me why she did it."

"I'm guessing it was because of stress. She told me at the scene that she needed a drink." Brass said.

"Catherine and Vartaan are on their way over. They have questions."

"I have no doubt that they have questions. Are you going to wake her up when they get here?"

"I don't know. She's a wreck. I'm going to force some vacation time on her. I might even take a few days for myself." Grissom said.

"I would probably do the same thing."

"I imagine we still have time. Catherine is stopping by the grocery store for me. All Sara has is coffee. Want a cup?"

"Sure." The silence between them was deafening as both of them recalled the argument at the crime scene, which Sara had to diffuse. Even after Grissom handed Brass his coffee, the silence continued. Grissom closed his eyes and listened to Sara's heartbeat as well as for anyone approaching. He could hear Sara stirring and got up to check on her.

"Sara?" She moaned in response.

"Come on, let's go back to the bathroom." He helped her up and guided her to the bathroom, where she proceeded to throw up what little was in her stomach. When she was finished, she clutched at her head. She was lucky to already have her ears covered because the doorbell rang at that exact second.

"Come on, question time."

"No." Sara whispered.

"Yes, you need to." He urged.

"I can't. Please, not today." Sara whispered her plea as she clutched at his shirt.

"Alright, I'll take you back to bed." He picked her up and carried her back to bed. He could hear Catherine, Brass and Vartaan utilizing small talk until he was able to join them. He kissed Sara's forehead and left her to sleep again. At her doorway, he took a deep breath and joined his friends in Sara's living room.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to post. I've already started working on chapter 12, as well as trying to come up with the ending. Life is still crazy right now, but will settle down a little bit in a few more weeks. Thank you all for your patience. Have a great day! Kelly


	12. Chapter 12

"Hello everyone and thank you for coming. Does anyone want some coffee?" Grissom offered. Everyone shook their heads and took a seat on Sara's couch.

"I've never been to Sara's before. Where is she?" Catherine asked.

"Sara is sleeping. I apologize for having us all meet here, but you're curious and the sun is holding me hostage." Grissom explained.

"So, when…how…why? Are you still?" Catherine was unable to complete any questions, which Grissom found amusing. At least Sara was able to complete most of her thoughts.

"Well, it happened in college. Melissa was hungry and fed off of me while we were intimate. She took too much blood and this is the result. When I saw her last week at the crime scene, she told me that she was ashamed of what she had done and that's why she was gone when I had woken up. Last week was the first time in twenty-five years that I had seen her." Grissom explained.

"How do you…eat?" Vartaan asked. Brass was listening intently because he too was learning new information.

"I used to eat sparingly on the blood I took from all of you at the lab for my experiments. When Sara found out, she agreed to be my provider."

"Is there any way you can change back?" Catherine wondered.

"Melissa thought that her death would do the trick, but it doesn't appear to be true. I'm not worried, as I've already told Brass and Sara, I don't plan to live forever."

"I've seen you eat." Catherine accused.

"I regurgitate it in private. Appearances are important, after all."

"So, what myths are true?" Vartaan asked.

"I need to be invited in. the sun is fatal to me. I wear my hat, jacket and sunscreen to protect myself. Garlic has absolutely no effect on me. I sleep in a bed and only need blood to survive. My senses are heightened. I can hear Sara's heartbeat right now, even though she's in another room. I can smell just as well." Jim, Catherine, and Vartaan all sat in shocked silence. Even though Brass already knew Grissom's secret, this was the first time he was getting all of the gory details. Grissom was getting hungry and unfortuneately, his food source was hung over. He had two choices, snack from someone else, or go hungry for a little while longer. He decided to wait a little longer and changed the subject.

"Catherine, how much do I owe you?" She handed him the receipt and he took the money from his wallet.

"Do you love her?" she asked.

"this conversation never leaves this room; yes, I love her." Catherine smiled triumphantly.

"I knew you did." Grissom looked at her with wide eyes.

"How?"

"Are you serious? It's written all over your face. I've suspected as much for a few years." She said.

"Why do you say that?" Grissom asked and wondered how many other people knew that he had feelings for Sara.

"I've seen the way you look at her, Gil. I'm not an idiot; ask anyone and they'll tell you the same thing."

"She's telling the truth. Even I've seen it for as little as I work with the two of you." Vartaan backed up Catherine's statement.

"Oh, well please keep this to yourselves for now. When Sara and I are ready, we will tell everyone." Brass, Catherine and Vartaan all nodded. Grissom's head snapped in the direction of Sara's room. He stood up and excused himself. Sara was moaning in pain. He crawled on the bed with her and held her in his arms to soothe her nightmare. He lightly stroked her face until her breathing slowed once again. He held her for a few extra minutes and when he was sure that she was sound asleep, he picked up her wrist to sample her blood. He could still taste the alcohol, so he simply put pressure on the bite mark and then a bandage. When he emerged again, Catherine was in the kitchen refilling coffee cups.

"How's Sara?" she asked without breaking her gaze from the mug in front of her.

"She's still drunk. I think the hangover is starting to set in." Grissom unconsciously rubbed his stomach. Brass saw it.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" he asked the obvious question.

"I am, but Sara's blood still has alcohol in it. I just sampled some." Grissom answered.

"What do you want to do?" Catherine asked.

"I have options. I can wait for Sara, or drink from one of you. I'll need my blood draw kit for that, though, and I can't go outside."

"What do you prefer?" Brass asked.

"I prefer Sara. We have the same blood type and her blood is the easiest to digest. I'll wait a little longer and test her again. Then, I'll have to eat something."

"Are you ever going to tell the guys?" Catherine wondered and then considered their reactions. She figured Nick and Warrick would react as she had and Greg would think it was cool. There was only one way to find out if her hypothesis was correct.

"I don't know. There's so much I need to process. I can't think about them right now." Brass and Vartaan sensed that there was no longer a need for them to be there and they left to get some sleep. Catherine cleaned up the used coffee mugs and joined Grissom in the living room.

"Can I see your fangs?" she asked, bringing him out of his thought train.

"I don't like to let them descend unless I'm going to eat."

"So go get Sara. You've got plenty of time before shift and no one will care if you take the night off." she said. Grissom knew that he wouldn't be able to get away from her until she saw what she wanted to see, so he sighed and stood up.

"Stay here and let me go get Sara." Catherine moved to the chair so Grissom and Sara could use the couch. He emerged from her room with Sara in his arms and Catherine watched him sit on the couch and place her between his legs.

"Sara, honey, wake up." Grissom spoke gently with a slight shake to hr arm.

"Mmm."

"Honey, I need a snack." He urged.

"Mmmkay." Sara agreed and let her head fall limply to his shoulder. Upon seeing her pulse flutter in her neck, Gil felt his fangs descend. He showed Catherine and she gasped at the reality of what she was seeing. Slowly, Gil lowered his mouth to Sara's neck. As gently as he could, he pierced the skin with his teeth. He could taste the alcohol in her blood and therefore didn't want to drink very much. Sara moaned and brought her hand to his hair. Gil felt his own arousal begin to stir and decided that he'd had enough. He put pressure on the wound. Catherine went in search of a first aid kit.

"It's in the bathroom, under the sink." Grissom answered the unspoken question. Catherine returned and helped Grissom bandage her neck.

"Was it what you thought it would be?" he asked her after Catherine put away the kit and sat down. Sara was snuggled up against his chest and sleeping soundly.

"No."

"You were expecting the Hollywood cliché, meaning it would be painful for her." Catherine nodded.

"I would never do this if it caused even an ounce of pain for her." He said.

"I know."

"I'm glad; she's important to me."

"She knows how you feel, right?" Catherine asked.

"Yes, and it's returned as well." Catherine nodded in satisfaction that she had seen and heard enough. She stood up to leave and immediately put her hands up when she looked at Grissom trying to stand as well.

"Chivalry is nice, but I'll let it slide this time."

"Thank you."

"You take care of her." She pointed at him to emphasize her point.

"I will. We'll see you later." After Catherine let herself out and Grissom easily lifted Sara in his arms and carried her to bed. He set her alarm, locked the door, and undressed to his boxers before crawling in with her. He pulled her close and fell asleep breathing in the scent of her hair.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: In the next chapter, Sara will verbalize why she turned to the bottle. She will also learn the reasons behind the argument between Grissom and Brass. Do you have any predictions? Reviews are wanted and appreciated. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	13. Chapter 13

Sara was still asleep that evening when Grissom woke with the alarm. He sampled from her wrist again. Satisfied that the alcohol was completely gone from her system, he drank a full meal. Sara began to wake just as he was finishing and used her free hand to stroke the hair on the back of his head.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. Gil bandaged her wrist and laid his head on her stomach.

"Why did you do it?"

"I needed to relieve my stress. I know it was stupid. I was doing ok until I saw you and Brass fighting. What happened there?"

"He was pissed at me because I used my senses to learn your body. I apologize for that." Sara's face scrunched up in confusion, causing him to explain further.

"I would do different things to see how your body reacted. It's how I knew what you smell like when you're aroused." He said.

"So, you treated me like a toy; trying to figure out how it works?" She was sitting up, forcing him to leave the softness of her body.

"I wasn't toying with you. I wouldn't have bothered if I wasn't genuinely interested." Sara left the bed and began to pace around the room.

"So, if I hadn't figured out your dirty little secret, we'd still be in stasis, wouldn't we? You'd still be you and I'd still be some pathetic woman, wondering if you'll ever figure out that I'm standing around, waiting for you to ask me out."

"I don't know. I've been so close so many times to asking you out. I really, really, wanted to say yes that day that you asked me." he said.

"I guess that's your own fault." she snapped at him.

"Honey…"

"Don't call me honey right now."

"Sara, I'm sorry. How can I make it up to you?" Grissom was close to kneeling on the floor and begging for her forgiveness.

"I don't know. I can't remember the last time I was so stressed."

"How can I help?" he asked.

"I think that I need to be alone right now." Gil's heart felt very heavy with that one statement.

"Sara, I'm really sorry. I never realized how much I was hurting you with my actions." Sara looked at him with disdain.

"You had to have known some of it."

"I did, but I never thought it was this bad."

"Well it was." she snapped at him. Gil was feeling helpless.

"You need to go. I'll see you at work tonight." She faced him full on and for the first time since they had met, he couldn't read her face or her emotions.

"But…"

"Gil, you need to go. I need to be alone right now." He sighed, feeling uneasy by her calm words.

"If that's what you really want, then I'll go." He dressed and left her apartment without any further attempts at discussion. Sara stayed still until she heard the front door clicked shut behind him. She fell back on the bed and let the tears flow freely. Something caught her eye as she was wiping them dry. She focused on the fresh bandage and traced it with the fingers of her free hand. Her thoughts were racing a mile a minute. She loved him, of that she had no doubt in her mind. She also knew that they needed to talk. There needed to be some changes made if they continue to nourish this fledgling relationship. She showered and dressed, taking care to cover her bandages before driving to the lab. She knew that he was already there and she also knew that her words had hurt him. She hadn't been too concerned about feeding him since he was eating when she woke up. His confession about his behavior regarding her really shook her to the core and she needed to figure out if she was going to continue to feed him; and if so, how she was going to do it.

That night, she was surprised to be paired with Grissom. She thought he would give her some space. When they were alone in the car, Sara felt like she was suffocating from the tension in the tiny space.

"Sara, I want you to know, I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you. I love you. If you want to end our relationship, I will understand."

"I don't want to end it, Gil. I love you, too. My hear hurts and I just need some time, ok?"

"Ok, I will give you all the time you need." He promised.

"Would you be upset if I asked you to draw my blood instead of the way you have been eating?" Sara asked timidly.

"No; I know you're in pain. Looking back, I was hurting myself at the same time. I couldn't understand how a beautiful and desirable woman like yourself could want me; and continue to be aroused by me even after the way I've pushed you away. I find myself wondering why you love me."

"Gil, I've been hopelessly drawn to you since we met. You're smart, kind, you look me in the eye, and respect everything. I could stare into your eyes all day long, which says a lot for a woman like me; completely devoted to her job."

"But I'm so much older than you." he argued.

"You don't act like it; trust me." They shared a quick, knowing smile and Gil turned his attention back to the road.

"If and when you are ready to forgive me, I'll be waiting for you." he promised.

"Thank you. Can…can you promise me something?"

"Anything." he assured her.

"Never use your heightened senses on me again unless it's an emergency."

"Done." he readily agreed to anything she wanted.

"Thank you."

Much to Grissom's dismay, those were the last words spoken by either of them until they reached the scene. They saw Sofia waiting for them, which Grissom was thankful for. He didn't think he could handle dealing with anyone 'in the know' right now, other than Sara. He directed Sara to process the body. She smiled briefly and disappeared to the back of the house. Grissom started to take photographs and walk the perimeter. He felt Sofia's eyes on him and turned to look at her.

"Gil, is everything okay?" she asked.

"For the most part; why do you ask?"

"You just seem like something is bothering you."

"Well, you're right, but I'd rather not discuss it at this time if you don't mind." he said politely, but firmly.

"Ok, I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thank you, Sofia, but I prefer to work through this one on my own." Sofia said nothing further and allowed him to work in relative silence, which he appreciated. He remembered an earlier thought of having both him and Sara take some time off. He decided that when they got back to the lab, he was going to break the news to Sara, hoping that she would take it in stride. He had a lot of thinking to do and she wanted some time alone anyway. His thought train was interrupted by Sara calling to him. He smiled softly.

"Hey, are you ok?" she asked.

"No, not really. I need to talk to you when we get back to the lab."

"Ok, we'll get there sooner if you bag that evidence you've been holding for the last five minutes." she said. He looked down at his hand and quickly bagged the evidence. She helped him load the car and held her hand out for the keys.

"I'm driving because you're still lost in your head." Wordlessly, he handed over the keys and climbed into the passenger seat. The drive was completed in complete silence.

As soon as the evidence was logged in, they went to his office, where he closed the door to ensure privacy.

"What do you need to talk about, Grissom?" she asked, as she watched him scribble his name on some blank forms.

"I'm thinking that in light of recent events, both of us need to take some time off."

"No."

"Sara, the last few days have been very stressful. I'll give you all the space you want, but it won't be here. You said yourself that you needed time alone."

"You're going to force me, aren't you?" she asked, with resignation in her voice.

"Pretty much, here's the paper; all you have to do is sign it." He handed it to her and she noticed that she was requesting one week of vacation time and that he'd already approved it.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to be doing a lot of thinking. I have some decisions that I need to make and taking some time off will allow me the time to properly dwell on everything that has happened and might also happen in the future." He didn't need to spell it out because she knew he had to decide if he even wanted to stay in Las Vegas now that his secret is somewhat in the open. She also knew he was trying to decide whether or not to tell the guys on the team the truth. Sara looked at the paper in her hands and scribbled her name on it. Grissom took the paper when she handed it to him and set it on top of his own.

"I'll bring Catherine up to date on my cases. Call me when you need to eat next." Sara said and left the room. He was forced to watch her pause at the door, though she never turned around.

"You're right, I do need some time off. Thank you for suggesting it."

"You're welcome."

"Have your blood draw kit with you and I'll see you later." Sara left the office when she finished talking and left no room for a response from him. He was thankful that she was even willing to still feed him right now, so he didn't argue. He spent time writing up extensive case notes for Catherine to delegate before turning in the vacation request forms to Ecklie. He waited for Catherine to return so he could verbally fill her in on his and Sara's absence.

Sara left Grissom's office and went straight to the locker room. She figured that since Catherine was in on the big secret, that it would be safe to talk to her. She sat down in the bench and pulled out her cell phone.

"_Willows."_

"Hey, it's me. Will you be back at the lab anytime soon?"

"_In an hour or so, what's up?"_

"I need to brief you on my cases; I have the next week off."

"_Are you leaving now?"_

"No, I'll be here for a little while. Come find me when you get here, ok?"

"_Ok, bye."_

"Bye." Sara hung up and busied herself with preparing her case notes and theories for Catherine since all of her evidence was still being processed. She was glad that nobody bothered her; she just needed time to think.

GSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSGRSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSRGSR

A/N: Hey, sorry it took me so long to update. It was a crazy weekend. I will do my best to upload another chapter before Friday. I'm starting to close this one out so that I can start the next part. One night, it came to me to try and turn this into a series, so that's what I'm going to attempt. Reviews are wanted and appreciated. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


	14. Chapter 14

Two hours after Sara ended her phone call with Catherine, the woman in question found arrived.

"Hey, it took longer than I thought it would."

"That's alright."

"What's wrong?" Catherine took a seat in the chair next to Sara.

"I need to talk to you in private." Sara said quietly.

"Shift is over in thirty minutes, would you like to come over to my place?" Catherine offered.

"Yes. I just finished all of my notes for you." Sara moved her notes so that both women would be able to see them. Catherine listened while Sara verbally detailed the three cases she was still working on; making a few notes of her own. When they were finished, Sara gathered her things and headed to her car while Catherine headed to her office. She found Grissom waiting for her.

"Hey."

"Hello Catherine."

"What can I do for you?"

"I'm taking the next week off. Here are my case notes." He handed her several more files to add to her growing pile. She knew this pile included case reviews that he had yet to sign off on. She absolutely hated doing his paperwork.

"Can I pass some of these off to the guys? I've already got Sara's cases too."

"That's fine, but I would like you to finish the one case I brought you in on. I'd like for you to finish it solo."

"I understand. Do you want me to keep you updated?" She wasn't sure how much more information there was going to be other than the ruling on Sara's shooting of the suspect. The man she shot admitted to killing the other three victims and the attack was provoked. She was sure the shooting would be ruled as justified.

"Yes, please. I don't know yet if I'm going to leave town at all, but if I do, then I'll let you know. Don't tell the guys what's going on and don't let them call me."

"Ok, I have to tell them something though to explain the sudden absence of both you and Sara." She argued.

"I took time off to attend an out of town funeral and I don't wish to be disturbed."

"That's fair. I'll ask Sara what she wants me to tell them." Grissom nodded in agreement and stood to leave.

"I'll see you in a week." he said.

"Enjoy your time off." She called after his retreating form. She sighed and locked up all of her the new files she had just acquired and left the building. She saw Sara in her car, waiting patiently for her. She also saw that Grissom was walking toward the parking lot ahead of her. She saw him slow as he neared Sara's car. His body language screamed that he waned to talk to her, but Sara refused to make eye contact with him, so he kept on walking. Catherine was wondering what had transpired between these two since she left Sara's place that morning.

Sara saw Catherine approaching less than a minute after Grissom walked past her. She smiled softly and without any words needed, Sara prepared to follow Catherine home. Catherine climbed in her car and drove home.

Catherine brewed a pot of tea and joined Sara at the kitchen table. Thankfully, her daughter Lindsey had already left for school.

"So what happened?" Catherine asked as Sara unconsciously fingered the bandage on her wrist.

"I have your complete confidence, right?"

"Of course."

"Well the other night was pretty stressful as I'm sure you can imagine."

"It's not everyday that you have two cases overlap, Grissom gets hurt and you kill a suspect in self-defense." Catherine replied.

"I also broke up a fight." Catherine nodded and Sara continued.

"When I left the scene, I went to the lab and logged my evidence. After that I went home to my liquor cabinet." Catherine held up her hand to stop Sara while she served the two cups of tea. Sara smiled gratefully.

"I'm not sure what happened during my hangover. Were you there?"

"Yes; Brass, Vartaan, and I were there for a while. Grissom answered questions for us and I watched him feed from you before I left. The guys didn't stay for that part though." Sara flushed with embarrassment upon learning that they have had a witness to him feeding.

"Oh." Catherine covered Sara's hand with her own.

"Sara, I thought it was romantic; there is nothing to be embarrassed about."

"What was the fight about between Brass and Grissom?" Catherine asked as a way to change the subject.

"When speaking to Brass, Grissom only confessed to abusing his senses to learn my body. That's when Brass starting shoving Grissom at the scene. Later on at my apartment I asked Grissom what had happened. Grissom told me that he used his enhanced abilities to study me. He would flirt with me to learn how I respond and what it smells like when I'm aroused. He says he's even tracked my cycle. It pissed me off to learn that he knowingly abused my feelings for him."

"Wow."

"Yeah, both of us accused him of using me to his advantage."

"Why do you think he did that?" Catherine asked.

"He said it's because he cares. I don't mind that he did it so much, what bothers me is that it took so many years away from what we could have had. It pisses me off that if I hasn't discovered his secret, I'd probably still be a pathetic, single woman hopelessly in love with her boss and wondering if he's ever going to figure it out." Somehow, Sara managed to not lose control and start yelling at Catherine. She also somehow managed to keep her tears in check.

"I see your point and I agree with you, but I think I can shed some light from his point of view." Sara looked at Catherine, demanding an explanation.

"Let's not forget that Grissom is a man who's been married and faithful to his job for more than twenty years. You need to realize that Grissom is risking everything to be with you. His job is his life and if he's caught breaking a major rule, like being in a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, his reputation is over. I understand why he did it, and I agree with you that he took too long to act. New relationships are complicated enough without the added stress you both are carrying. I personally don't think you should be too hard on him."

"Thank you. I didn't think of it that way. You're right though. His career and his reputation could be over because of me." Sara sighed and was desperately fighting the tears at this point.

"It could also benefit because of you. I've been watching you two for years and it's as plain as my love for Lindsey that you two make a good team. You balance each other. That's why neither of you have managed to have maintain a long term relationship and also that yours has lasted through the test of time; you're connected."

"You're right; I've loved him for so many years."

"I knew it the very first time I saw you two together." Sara smiled. Catherine covered Sara's hand and squeezed it.

"Give him another chance. He won't screw up again; because I'll kill him." Sara covered Catherine's hand this time.

"Not if I get to him first."

"That's the spirit."

"Thank you for talking to me, Catherine. I need to go talk to him." Catherine smiled and walked Sara to the door, secretly hoping that everything would work out.

A/N: I apologize for the long delay in updating. Life has been absolutely crazy around here. In the next chapter, Sara will confront Grissom. I will try to post again by Friday. Reviews are wanted and appreciated. Have a great day everyone! Kelly


End file.
